


Tales from Ashmount

by AggressiveTyper



Category: Original Work
Genre: Child Dictators, Citrus Hills: Southern cult of etiquette, Crack, F/F, F/M, I Seriously Have Lost My Mind, M/M, Mix of old and new stuff, Move around at your own pace, Rule the School: Child dictator drama, Screenplay/Script Format, The Bulletin: John Wick but children, Tribes of the Valley: Child dictators but MEDIEVAL, Utter Insanity, Various Intersecting Stories, please don't read :)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-11
Updated: 2021-03-13
Packaged: 2021-03-17 21:15:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 79
Words: 319,179
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29972394
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AggressiveTyper/pseuds/AggressiveTyper
Summary: In the town of Ashmount, everything is upside down. Children rule their schools and ruthlessly fight for power, tooth, claw, and nail. It's a wild time.Earlier episodes are in the process of being rewritten. They were written in, like, seventh grade.
Kudos: 1





	1. Rule the School S1E1

Pilot: Welcome to the Drama

INT. FORRESTER SCHOOL- DAY

Students walk around the hallways, and one figure in particular sticks out: JAMES ORWICK, a short boy wearing a black hoodie who looks like he's trying to disappear.

JAMES (V.O)

This... is a school of secrets. Where making a friend isn't an act of kindness, it's a power move.

Where promises mean nothing, and where everyone wants to find and exploit your weaknesses. Where everyone has one goal... to rule the school.

James quickly walks through the hallways, throwing sideways glances at other students as he walks.

JAMES (V.O) (CONT'D)

I'm at the bottom of the social pyramid here at Forrester. When you're where I am, the most you can do is keep your head down and try not to show any sign of weakness, because if you do...

QUICK PAN/SWIPE UPWARDS

Evil-looking popular kids with fangs grin against a black background.

CUT BACK TO JAMES

JAMES (V.O) (CONT'D)

The people at the top will be on you before you can say 'help.' Lucky for me, I don't have any weaknesses.

As he hurries down the hallways, James bumps into BECKY POLLER. He glances at her, startled.

JAMES (V.O) (CONT'D)

Eeeeexcept maybe one. That's Becky Poller. I've known her since second grade, but she hasn't noticed me since eighth. Why would she? I've haven't have a conversation with her in two years. Besides, I've got some competition.

Becky walks past James over to an important-looking boy: WILL CROSS. He smiles, but it's not a warm one.

JAMES (V.O) (CONT'D)

That's Will Cross, class president and social king at Forrester. He arrived three years ago, and that's when my life was ruined...

FADE TO THREE YEARS AGO

INT. FORRESTER SCHOOL (THREE YEARS EARLIER)- DAY

A younger James overlooks his classmates from a balcony, with two large guards standing next to him.

JAMES (V.O)

I ruled St. Juniper's Elementary School- just the right mixture of love and fear. That power carried over to Forrester, and life was good...until seventh grade.

The camera rotates around James, transitioning to a shot of young Will standing at the end of a hallway, everyone looking at him.

JAMES (V.O) (CONT'D)

That was when Will arrived.

Cut to a shot of young Will smiling as he talks to James and other students.

JAMES (V.O) (CONT'D)

He charmed everyone... even me. Little did I know that he had _big_ aspirations.

Cut to a shot of young Will sitting in front of a computer, his face illuminated in the dim room by the screen's light.

JAMES (V.O) (CONT'D)

He got ahold of my passwords. How, I'll never know. He released everything- my baby pictures, my browser history, even my journal!

Dramatic shot of students facing James. They seem to grow taller as they leer over him, their laughter echoing as James turns pale.

JAMES (V.O) (CONT'D)

I toppled from my spot at the top...

As the laughter of the students still sounds, Will shoots up in height, looming over everybody else. Ghostly strings extend from his fingers towards everybody else. He flicks his wrist, and all the students go stiff, now just his puppets.

JAMES (V.O) (CONT'D)

And while everyone else was fighting for dominance, Will used my information on everyone to subdue the rabble.

FADE TO THE PRESENT DAY

INT. FORRESTER SCHOOL- DAY

In the present, Will walks down the hallway towards Becky, the crowd of students parting for him. His hands are clasped, and there's a ghost of a smile on his face.

JAMES (V.O)

Now we're in tenth grade. I'm at the bottom, planning my rise to power, and Will's crushing whatever resistance there is left against him.

Will and Becky meet up, conversing with smiles on their faces as James looks on.

JAMES (V.O) (CONT'D)

That's why he's courting Becky. She has connections to some of Forrester's most popular girls. By dating her, Will hopes to ensure their loyalty. Not to mention that they've been resisting his leadership for ages, and it'll pacify them to have one of their own by Will's side.

CUT TO:

INT. FORRESTER STUDENT DEN- DAY

James leans against a table, clearly deep in thought. His two best friends stand beside him. AJ MITCHELL is even shorter than James, with curly red hair and a _lot_ of energy.

CHARLOTTE MARCH is the exact opposite, slightly taller than AJ and visibly bored.

CHARLOTTE

James, are you doing an internal monologue again?

James snaps out of it.

JAMES

Just formulating a plan of attack, Charlotte.

AJ

Ugh! Come _on_! You keep saying we're biding our time. When are we going to make a move?

James flicks his hair out of his face, giving AJ a condescending smile.

JAMES

When Will shows any sign of weakness, AJ. We've been over this. Besides, our coup needs to be a dramatic event! A swift strike, on a date of importance!

CHARLOTTE

Well, you've got a perfect opportunity coming right up.

Charlotte points and James and Will follow her gaze to a massive poster hanging in the hallway reading 'Will Day Tomorrow!' Underneath those words is a photo of Will alongside the words 'Don't _Cross_ Me.'

AJ

Will Day... James, why didn't you ever think of something like that?

JAMES

Firstly, because there's no puns you can make with the last name 'Orwick.' Second, I never thought the teachers would actually allow something like this!

Charlotte snorts in bemusement.

CHARLOTTE

Oh, please. Will has just as much dirt on the teachers as he does on the students. He could probably give _them_ detention if he wanted.

ENTER BECKY

Becky walks past the three of them, standing by a nearby table and looking at her phone. Charlotte and AJ notice James looking at her. Charlotte rolls her eyes.

CHARLOTTE (CONT'D)

Young love. How delightful.

JAMES

I don't appreciate the commentary, Charlotte.

AJ

You should go talk to her. I mean, yesterday, I actually saw her _look_ at you. Nobody does that anymore.

James shoots AJ a dirty look, but it does nothing to wipe the mischievous smile off his face.

CHARLOTTE

As much as I hate to admit it, AJ's right. How are you going to take over this school if you can't even talk to a girl?

AJ

Charlotte, aren't you a-

Charlotte holds up a hand to silence him.

CHARLOTTE

Sometimes I don't know why I bother helping you, AJ.

James examines his nails, trying to act cool.

JAMES

Charlotte, Charlotte, Charlotte. I don't need to start a fight with Will by talking to Becky. I've _just_ gotten to the point where he doesn't notice me anymore, and I do _not_ want to be back on his radar.

You guys remember the stunts that Will pulled when he first took over!

James, Charlotte, and AJ collectively grimace as they remember. In quick succession, we see the incidents they're recalling: James in a dunk tank, James being forced to do an embarrassing dance in front of Will and other students, and James opening his locker only for a ferocious raccoon to leap on him. The three friends shudder as we cut back to the present.

AJ

Thanks for that. I really needed those memories back.

CHARLOTTE

Oh, I'll never forget them.

She holds out her phone to show that her home screen is a photo of James being attacked by the raccoon.

CHARLOTTE (CONT'D)

I'll treasure this photo forever.

JAMES

Whose side are you on, Charlotte?

Charlotte shrugs, a small smile on her face. AJ leaps up to get James' attention, an indignant look on his face.

AJ

Don't try to change the subject! Go talk to Becky!

JAMES

It's not happening, AJ. I've hidden my... interest in Becky from Will for so long. If he found out now, he'd crush me before I had a chance to prepare.

AJ

You... you've kind of already been crushed.

CHARLOTTE

AJ, I think that's what they call an excuse

JAMES

You two are relentless today, aren't you?

AJ walks in front of James, a serious look on his face.

AJ

James, you know that I'm your friend, right?

JAMES

Unfortunately.

AJ looks pointedly at Charlotte, who reluctantly joins him in front of James.

CHARLOTTE

Yeah, we really care about you or whatever.

AJ

And we would _never_ do something if it wasn't for your own good!

JAMES (HESITANTLY)

Uh-huh...

AJ's eyes light up and he grins, grabbing James' arm and pulling him.

JAMES (CONT'D)

AJ, what are you-

Before James can respond, Charlotte and AJ push him over towards Becky.

AJ

Go get her, tiger!

James stumbles and regains his balance, looking up to see Becky staring at him. James goes pale, turning around to see AJ barely suppressing his laughter. Charlotte merely offers a thumbs up.

BECKY

Hi.

James whirls around, shocked that she'd actually speak to him.

JAMES

Um... sorry about that. For a second I thought I heard someone talk to me.

BECKY

I... I did.

James leaps up in the air, just as shocked the second time. He quickly tries to compose himself, pulling out a cologne spray and virtually dousing himself in it.

JAMES

Oh! Um... hello! I, uh, I don't know if you remember me. I'm James.

Becky laughs, a nice sound that almost sounds rehearsed (foreshadowing?)

BECKY

Of course I remember you. How could I forget your elementary school dictatorship?

James relaxes a little bit, offering a slight smile.

JAMES

Your memory must be off. I distinctly recall establishing a democracy.

Becky purses her lips, rolling her eyes.

BECKY

Oh, _sure_.

James scratches the back of his head sheepishly.

JAMES

I just filled my government with kindergartners.

BECKY

You had that phrase you told us every day... 'He who controls the playground controls the populace.'

She laughs, and James assumes mock indignation.

JAMES

What, you don't like it? I thought it was catchy.

BECKY

A little absurd, don't you think?

JAMES

Before I came along, recess was anarchy! People standing on the swings, inefficient use of the jungle gym! Pure chaos!

BECKY

Oh yeah, you sorted that out just fine with that massive schedule you expected a bunch of second graders to follow.

They both laugh, and we see AJ and Charlotte looking on in bemusement.

AJ

Well, this is going better than I thought it would.

Charlotte sighs disappointedly.

CHARLOTTE

I know. It's so disappointing.

Charlotte suddenly spots something, her eyes widening.

CHARLOTTE (CONT'D)

Um... AJ?

AJ sees what she's talking about.

AJ

Uh-oh.

ENTER WILL

As Becky and James laugh together, a third voice chimes in. Becky and James both stop and turn to see Will standing there, a cold smile on his face. James looks like he's seen a ghost.

WILL

Ah, I've heard so many stories about elementary school, _James_. I wish I could have been there.

James audibly gulps.

JAMES

Well, um...

Will waves his hand dismissively but is clearly enjoying James' discomfort. He strolls in the other direction as he waxes poetic.

WILL

Well, the past is in the past, I suppose. All that matters now is the future. We have our whole lives ahead of us. Successes, failures, lies...

Will dramatically turns around, staring James down. James can't hold his gaze, looking down.

WILL (CONT'D)

 _Loves_.

Will raises an eyebrow, and James can tell that he's figured out his feelings for Becky.

WILL (CONT'D)

Well, I was just stopping by to ask Becky for help designing the Will Day digital invitations. I do hope I'm not... interrupting.

Becky has been silent the whole time, but now she quickly walks over to Will, nodding.

BECKY

No, no, not at all. Let's go design the invitations.

Will puts a hand on Becky's shoulder, shooting James a grin.

WILL

 _Superb_. See you around... James.

As the two of them walk away, Will pulls out his phone to show to Becky. Instead of walking away, James' eyes are glued to the phone as Will types in his password. We quickly cut between slow-motion close ups of Will punching in his password and James' eyes widening.

EXIT BECKY AND WILL

As Becky and Will walk away, James plays with his hair, thinking. The color starts to return to his face, and he starts to smile. A mortified AJ and a slightly annoyed Charlotte run over.

AJ

James, I'm so sorry! I had no idea that Will would-

James holds up a hand, silencing AJ.

JAMES (QUIETLY)

He knows.

CHARLOTTE

Shouldn't you be a bit more upset? Now Will's going to try and humiliate you tomorrow for sure.

He's not exactly fond of people talking to his property.

AJ

There's still time to prepare! What should we-

JAMES (INTERRUPTING)

I may be back on Will's radar, but he's revealed a weakness of his own. It's time to strike.

AJ and Charlotte seem a bit surprised by the news, but they quickly recover.

CHARLOTTE

What's the plan?

JAMES

Write this down. I want to make sure you remember this-

James lets out a cough that sounds suspiciously like 'AJ'

AJ

Hey!

As James starts to speak, the screen fades to black. A dramatic gong sounds as the words 'Will Day' appear onscreen.

FADE IN:

INT. FORRESTER GYMNASIUM- DAY

It's Will Day, and the entire student body is gathered in the gym for an assembly. We pan across the bleachers and zoom in on James. He's no longer wearing a black hoodie, but a white dress shirt and black blazer. Not only that, but his posture and expression exude a confidence we haven't yet seen in him. The principal stands on the podium, addressing the student body.

PRINCIPAL

And now, the person you've been waiting for! The person that today is all about! Give a round of applause for Will Cross!

Will walks onstage, soaking up the audience's applause. He looks around the gym, his gaze zeroing in on James, who isn't clapping along with everyone else. Instead of looking down, James now holds his gaze. Will's eyes narrow, and his lip curls. However, he assumes a wide smile as he steps up to the microphone.

WILL

Hello, everyone! Thank you all for attending this year's Will Day assembly. Oh, who am I kidding?

It's not like you had a choice!

Will pauses, and the audience nervously laughs at his bad joke. Will snaps his fingers, and the laughter immediately ceases.

WILL (CONT'D)

This year marks the third anniversary of my rise to power and look how far we've come! We've gone from a school in turmoil to an organized society where _everyone_ knows their place.

As Will speaks that last sentence, he looks pointedly at James. James' eyes, however, are on Becky as she stands by the podium nervously. She notices him and offers a small smile.

WILL (CONT'D)

As you all know, since my rise to power, I've been trying to subdue small factions of resistance against me. However, despite my _sincerest_ efforts, wannabe rebels just keep popping up. I was able to trace most of these coups back to one group- the so-called 'popular girls.'

Will gestures, and some important looking girls walk onstage beside him.

WILL (CONT'D)

We've had some diplomatic exchanges and come to an agreement. They _will_ accept my leadership if I have one of their own rule by my side. So please, give a warm welcome to my new girlfriend... Becky Poller!

Everyone, including James, claps as Becky comes onstage. She giggles as she steps up to the microphone.

BECKY

Hi, everyone! I'm so excited to help lead all of you! I hope that we can all stand together in the future! I'm kind of new to this whole 'in-charge' thing, so I'm always open to suggestions. Um... I'd like to thank Will and my friends for giving me this opportunity, and I hope I'll live up to your expectations! Thanks!

As she steps back, the crowd loudly cheers, and Will grins.

JAMES (V.O)

Becky's helping him out in more ways than one, it seems. With someone a little nicer as Will's girlfriend, people will be quicker to trust his regime. Not that Will has plans to give Becky any power. She's a figurehead, nothing more.

Will steps back up to the microphone.

WILL

Hopefully, this will bring peace to the school, and we can all devote our full attention to the greater good.

Will pauses, and chooses his next words carefully as he stares James down.

WILL (CONT'D)

But before we focus on the future, let's celebrate the past. I'd just _love_ to thank everybody that helped me in my rise to power. I'd _especially_ like to extend my _sincerest_ gratitude to James Orwick. I couldn't be here if you hadn't so _generously_ stepped down. Why don't you come onstage and say a few words?

The way Will says it, you can tell it isn't a question. All eyes turn to James as he calmly stands up, head held high. James walks slowly to the stage, drawing everyone's gaze, including Will's. Across the bleachers, AJ takes this opportunity to sneak out of the gymnasium.

EXIT AJ

James steps up to the microphone.

JAMES

Hello, everyone!

Dead silence.

JAMES (CONT'D)

Wow, tough crowd.

James takes a breath, looking towards the audience. He sees Charlotte holding up a sign that reads 'I will punch you if you don't nail this.' He grins and continues.

JAMES (CONT'D)

Well, this may be called Will Day, but it's important to me too! This was the day I was defeated! I bet none of you thought it could be done, but Will Cross did it!

Everyone give him a round of applause.

The audience weakly claps, confused. Behind James, both Will and Becky narrow their eyes. The moment Will looks over to Becky, she assumes a more wide-eyed expression.

JAMES (CONT'D)

The thing is, I bet you all think the story ends there. Will at the top, me at the bottom, you all sprinkled in between. But guys... the story's not over! It shouldn't just be people like me and Will that get to leave an impression!

What have you done to make your name known? What have you done to make your mark? Nothing!

He pauses, out of breath.

JAMES (CONT'D)

Well, that could all change! You could rise up! The time to make your mark is here! The time to make your mark is...

James awkwardly pauses, staring at his watch for a few seconds.

JAMES (CONT'D)

Now.

We cut to AJ pulling the fire alarm. The sound blares throughout the gymnasium, and the sprinklers start going off. Students run out of the bleachers, creating a chaotic crowd in the center of the gym. In this chaos, we focus on Charlotte as she makes a beeline for Will, grabbing his phone from his pocket as she passes. Will is too busy yelling at the panicked crowd to notice. She runs out of the gym, meeting up with James and AJ.

JAMES (CONT'D)

You have it?

Charlotte waves the phone, and James grins.

JAMES (CONT'D)

Well done. Let's find somewhere more private. You have the password, AJ?

AJ pulls out a sheet of paper with numbers written on it.

AJ

You know it!

EXT. FORRESTER FIELD- DAY

Will herds the students and teachers out of the gymnasium. Becky is beside him.

WILL

Alright, now could the class representatives please make sure that everyone is present? I'll just call the fire department and tell them-

Will pauses, his hand inside his pocket. He tries his other pocket, but there's nothing there either. Will's face turns pale.

WILL (SLOWLY) (CONT'D)

Where is my phone?

INT. FORRESTER ATHLETIC CLOSET- DAY

Inside a small room, AJ and Charlotte scroll through Will's phone while James paces back and forth.

JAMES

Come on, there has to be _something_ we can use. Will has to have _something_ he doesn't want everyone to know.

CHARLOTTE

Um, James? I think we found something.

Charlotte hands the phone to James. In the dark room, the light of the phone illuminates James' face as he reads. It's almost an identical shot as Will's face in the flashback at the beginning of the episode. A grin grows on James' face as he reads.

EXT. FORRESTER FIELD- DAY

Will is desperately trying to stay calm and failing hard. As the students chatter amongst themselves, he addresses them.

WILL (NERVOUSLY)

I'm sure this was just a prank by James and his lackeys. Now then, has anyone seen _my phone_?!

The students reluctantly begin to look around on the ground before a collective 'Ding' resonates from their pockets. Will realizes what's happening, but it's too late. The students all pull out their phones and gasp collectively.

WILL (CONT'D)

No!

The students read off what's on their phones one at a time.

STUDENT ONE

Will Cross...

STUDENT TWO

Tendency towards manipulation...

STUDENT THREE

Has experienced issues with authority...

STUDENT FOUR

Refused to attend therapy when recommended...

STUDENT FIVE

Eventually forced into Goesher Therapy Clinic and remained a patient for six years...

James' voice rings out from the crowd as they part to let him through, flanked by Charlotte and AJ.

ENTER JAMES

James is in his element, and cruel amusement dances in his eyes. He savors each word as he speaks.

JAMES

Expelled from three schools. Possible case of anti-social personality disorder.

Will turns paler with each word. He turns to Becky, but she's backed away from him into the crowd, which has now formed a circle around Will and James. Will falls to his knees in shock.

JAMES (CONT'D)

Oh, how the mighty have _fallen._

James turns to address the crowd.

JAMES (CONT'D)

How many of you have been blackmailed, threatened, or bribed by Mr. Cross here? How many of you did anything about it? What makes this boy better than any of you? He ran away from his issues! He ran away from the people who knew him! He ran away from everything, and he thought that he could waltz in here and take over!

The crowd starts to murmur, and James' eyes widen with manic glee as he raises his voice.

JAMES (LOUDLY) (CONT'D)

This ends today! Will Cross is _nothing_ without you! Take away your support, take away his power! Help me take back this school!

Dead silence for a few seconds. Then, suddenly, a student leaps out from the crowd.

IDIOTIC STUDENT

Follow me! I'm in charge now!

Quick as a viper, James grabs Idiotic Student and whispers in his ear.

JAMES

Adam, does your girlfriend know that you tried to sell her secrets to Will?

Idiotic Student turns pale and quickly runs away. The crowd is silent for another moment, then AJ and Charlotte begin a chant.

AJ AND CHARLOTTE

James! James! James! James!

The crowd joins in, and soon everyone is chanting, including Becky.

We cut between James standing tall with a cold gleam in his eyes, and Will looking up at him, his expression filled with hatred.

JAMES (V.O)

Back and forth, back and forth. The game's no fun when everyone knows each other's cards. It only really gets interesting when someone pulls an ace out of their sleeve. It's not enough to survive... you have to win it all. That's just how you rule the school.

We end on a shot of James' face, a small smile on his face.

END


	2. Rule the School S1E2

Episode Two: No Rest for the Weary

INT. FORRESTER SCHOOL HALLWAYS: DAY

Students walk slowly around the hallways as JAMES' voice rings over the intercom.

JAMES (V.O.)

Good morning, Forrester. This is James Orwick, and it's great to be back where I belong! On the lunch menu today: tomato soup with garlic bread. Sounds delicious to me!

Newly put up posters of James are plastered over the hallways, sporting the same cheesy grin that WILL's posters last episode did

JAMES (V.O.)

In other school news, class president Will Cross has resigned! What a shame! You didn't hear this from me, but apparently he was under pressure from the student body! Taking his office is- oh, would you look at that? James Orwick!

INT. FORRESTER CLASSROOM

Will sits shakily at his text, staring straight ahead.

PAN OUT

INT. FORRESTER CLASSROOM

As the camera pans out, it's revealed that there's a wide berth between Will's desk and those of the other students.

INT. FORRESTER SCHOOL HALLWAYS

Becky walks through the halls, smiling at a group of students as they pass by her, but her expression shifts a much colder one as she turns her head back around.

BECKY (V.O.)

I was supposed to be the queen of this school.

PAN/SWIPE TO SIDE

Becky appears between her group of friends and Will, all of them staring at her as she looks forward with narrowed eyes.

BECKY (V.O.)

Will and my 'friends' thought they could control me.

PAN/SWIPE TO SIDE

A silent shot of Becky speaking to Will in the past, giggling and twirling her hair.

BECKY (V.O.)

After all, I'm just the ditzy shy girl. Ugh, it makes me feel sick just thinking about it.

Becky turns the corner, quickly assuming a smile and waving to another group of students.

BECKY (V.O.)

It's all part of the plan, though. I've found that if people underestimate you, they won't look too closely. Won't see anything past the pretty surface.

Becky passes a torn poster of Will, rolling her eyes.

BECKY (V.O.)

Will was just a means to an end... not that he ever showed any interest in me besides what I could do for him politically.

FLASHBACK

INT. FORRESTER AUDITORIUM: YESTERDAY

We see James' coup from last episode and Will and James' speeches onstage from Becky's perspective as her eyes narrow and her mind races.

BECKY (V.O.)

But Will was brought down anyway, and I'm no closer to the top. I'll adapt, though. I always do.

Becky's eyes hone in on James, and she lets a small smile grow on her face.

BECKY (V.O.)

James is more open to me... more easy to manipulate. I'll be running the show soon...

END FLASHBACK

Becky walks in the hallways and passes the camera, a smile on her face.

BECKY (V.O.)

I just have to wait.

INT. JAMES' OFFICE

James finishes speaking into the intercom.

JAMES

And that's all for today, Forrester! _Class President_ James Orwick, signing off.

A click sounds as the intercom turns off. James leans back in his chair and sighs.

JAMES

Ah, I forgot how nice this office is. It's like I never left.

James turns to face AJ and CHARLOTTE, who's thumbing at her phone.

AJ

Um, yeah, about that. Is there a reason that I have to work from the inside of the coat closet.

JAMES

Sorry, AJ. Your old office is now my backup backup office.

CHARLOTTE

Yup. Power's definitely going to his head.

JAMES

That's enough from you two. I won't have anyone raining on my parade today.

AJ

You got it, boss!

CHARLOTTE

Whatever.

JAMES

Just tell me what's on the schedule for today, Charlotte.

CHARLOTTE

During second period, you're booked for an appearance and short speech at the food drive.

JAMES

Speech? What should it be about?

AJ

School spirit!

CHARLOTTE

They'll donate or they'll be perishable goods.

JAMES

Um... maybe somewhere in the middle of those two.

CHARLOTTE

Also, there's some people that hate you. Anyway-

JAMES, AJ

What?!

Charlotte sighs, holding out her phone to reveal a group of girls holding signs that say 'No More James!'

AJ

No more James? Come on, at least give him a day in office.

JAMES

That's Becky's clique... Angela and her goons.

CHARLOTTE

Should I call an assassin?

JAMES

Not yet.

Charlotte puts down the phone she just picked up disappointedly.

JAMES

I know what they want.

INT. BECKY'S HOUSE

Becky sits on her bed, a calculating expression on her face. Suddenly, ANGELA FARRENBURR bustles in, a pompous looking girl dressed impeccable and just finishing typing something on her phone.

ANGELA

Becky! Get over here, pronto!

Becky quickly assumes a smile and turns around.

BECKY

What's up, Angela?

ANGELA

I've booked you a date with Forrester's most eligible bachelor. Now come with me to get dressed.

BECKY

But-

ANGELA

Of course, how could I forget? You're welcome!

BECKY

Is this just another power grab?

ANGELA

Duh! What isn't! Don't tell me you're getting cold feet _now,_ Becky? You and I both know that James has been smitten with you since kindergarten.

BECKY

But... he hardly knows me.

ANGELA

Well, that's about to change. You're going on this date. Not just for you, but for your friends. For _me_.

BECKY

James does seem nice...

ANGELA

That's just a side benefit. The real meat will be finally getting one of our own at the top of the social pyramid!

Becky laughs.

BECKY

You're crazy, Angie.

ANGELA

All future rulers are. Now are you coming?

BECKY

Of course. I'd never let down my _best friend_.

Angela leads Becky out of the room, Angela tossing her hair dramatically as the girls exit.

EXT. FORRESTER COURTYARD

James, AJ, and Charlotte stand beside a table and two chairs that have been set up in the courtyard, James rocking himself back and forth on his feet.

JAMES

I can't believe it! I have-

CHARLOTTE

A date with Becky Poller. It's only the tenth time you've mentioned it.

AJ

Well, _I'm_ very happy for you, James.

CHARLOTTE

Suck-up.

AJ

Buzzkill.

JAMES

I mean, it's been forever since I had a real conversation with her. But she's always been so nice and bubbly and-

CHARLOTTE

Why'd you bring us here? Just to wax poetic to us?

JAMES

Actually, you guys are here to make sure Becky's friends don't interfere with our time together.

AJ

Really? I was fully prepared to perform a love ballad to set the mood.

CHARLOTTE

Oh, it would set _a_ mood.

ANGELA (O.S.)

James and his lackeys! Fancy seeing you out here!

ENTER ANGELA, ANGELA'S POSSE, AND BECKY

Angela and a group of girls strut in, including Becky. James flushes at the sight of her but is clearly exasperated at Angela as she marches up to him, kissing both his cheeks.

JAMES

If I recall correctly, you did tell us to be at this location. I don't know why our presence is so surprising.

Angela forces a smile as she and James, the two queen bees, stare each other down.

ANGELA

Well, I wouldn't want to take _all_ the attention for myself.

AJ, CHARLOTTE

You wouldn't?

ANGELA

Becky, come up here next to James.

Becky walks up to James, seemingly nervous, as Angela snaps a photo of the two of them.

ANGELA

Well, aren't you two adorable. Now then, you can get to your little date.

JAMES

Sounds great. You can take your leave now.

Angela gives a glare to Becky, who pipes up.

BECKY

Oh, can't Angie stay? She's just an overprotective best friend.

JAMES

Wouldn't you rather it just be the two of us?

BECKY

You brought your friends.

JAMES

Ignore that. Away with you, Angela.

Angela rolls her eyes.

ANGELA

 _Whatever._ Girls, synchronized heel turn!

Angela and her posse turn heel and walk away, and James gestures with his head for Charlotte and AJ to follow them.

BECKY

Well, um... do you wanna sit down?

James flushes.

JAMES

Totally! Totally, totally!

Becky's smile is strained as the two of them sit down.

BECKY (V.O.)

Just get through it...

PAN TO SIDE

EXT. FORRESTER COURTYARD

Angela and her posses lie hidden in a bush, pushing each other out of the way as they observe James and Becky.

POSSE MEMBER ONE

Let me see!

POSSE MEMBER TWO

Out of my way!

ANGELA

Quiet, all of you!

Angela peers towards James and Becky.

ANGELA

Good... they're smiling. Laughing. Still laughing. Okay, guys, it probably wasn't _that_ funny.

POSSE MEMBER ONE

AH!

Suddenly, the two posse members on Angela's side are pulled out of the bush. Angela gasps and crawls farther in.

ANGELA

Oh, god, I'm too young to die! I promise I'll give Vanessa Brown her social life back! AH!

Angela is pulled out as well with a scream only to see AJ and Charlotte on the other end.

ANGELA

Death really does look horrifying.

CHARLOTTE

Get out.

JAMES

Is there an issue?

James and Becky turn around to see AJ and Charlotte awkwardly holding Angela by the legs.

AJ

Nope!

CHARLOTTE

No problem at all.

James sighs and turns back to Becky.

JAMES

Sorry about that.

BECKY

It's no problem at all.

JAMES

So, um... it's really nice out today.

BECKY

It is, isn't it?!

JAMES

It reminds me of this one day when...

As James babbles on, Becky zones out with a smile.

BECKY (V.O.)

He loves to hear himself talk, doesn't he?

EXT. FORRESTER SCHOOL ROOF

Angela and her posse haul themselves to the top of the roof, Angela brandishing a pair of binoculars.

ANGELA

Aha! I'm a genius! They'll never think to look up here! Foolproof! Foolproof, I say!

Immediately after Angela finishes the sentence, she and her posse are sprayed with water as Charlotte aims a hose up from the ground, looking bored.

ANGELA

Agh!

AJ

Ooh, what does this do?

AJ turns a dial on those and the water power goes way up, sending Angela and her posses flying back and landing on the other side of the roof with a thud. AJ winces.

AJ

Ouch.

CHARLOTTE

Pity implies empathy.

CUT BACK TO JAMES AND BECKY

JAMES

So...um... you don't mind Will being overthrown yesterday? I know it was all so sudden and-

BECKY

No, no! I don't mind at all!

Becky lowers her tone to a conspiratorial whisper.

BECKY

Honestly, he was kind of a jerk.

JAMES

You think so?

Becky nods

BECKY

I think you'll be much better.

James turns bright red.

JAMES

Oh, um, really? But, um, you know, it would always be better to have someone at my side to-

ANGELA (O.S.)

Incoming!

Angela lands on the table with a parachute, knocking the tablecloth off and attempting to strike a pose but falling off the table.

BECKY

Angela?

JAMES

Where's cleanup?!

AJ and Charlotte enter, exhausted.

AJ

She's surprisingly fast.

Angela rises to her feet, pointing at James.

ANGELA

Accept our deal, Orwick. Make Becky your girlfriend!

A moment of silence and confusion.

JAMES

Okay!

ANGELA

Not convinced?! Well, I can... wait, what?

JAMES

Sounds, um, perfect to me.

He looks to Becky.

JAMES

As long as you're okay with it, Becky.

ANGELA

Of course she's okay with it!

JAMES

Let her talk.

A pause as Becky pretends to think.

BECKY

I think that would be great!

JAMES

Really?

BECKY

Mmhm!

Becky walks up next to an elated James.

ANGELA

Ha! I win! Yay me!

Angela struts away confidently.

CHARLOTTE

Should we even bother?

JAMES

She's not worth the effort. Sorry for saying that about your friend, Becky.

BECKY

It's not _that_ inaccurate.

AJ gasps.

AJ

 _Becky_!

The four of them laugh and walk away.

FADE TO:

INT. FORRESTER HALLWAYS

AJ walks through the halls, and Becky saunters up next to him.

BECKY

Hey, AJ!

AJ

Oh, hey, Becky. Can this wait, I really have to file these. New regimes require a _lot_ of paperwork.

BECKY

You and James have been friends for, like, forever, right?

AJ

Yeah, I guess.

BECKY

So he probably gives you like, emergency access to his passwords and stuff in case he's out of commission.

AJ eyes Becky.

AJ

That's on a need-to-know basis.

Becky is silent for a second, and when she speaks again, her voice is colder.

BECKY

You know, Will told me some things before he fell. Some things about _you_ , AJ.

AJ goes pale.

BECKY

He told me...

She whispers something in AJ's ear that makes him stop in his tracks. Silently, he gestures for her to follow him down the hall, and she smiles.

BECKY (V.O.)

First impressions are rarely correct. People are layers upon layers. You have to peel them back, one by one, to see who they really are. Maybe you think someone's your friend, but they could stab you in the back the first chance they get. But hey, that's just how you rule the school.

END.


	3. Rule the School S1E3

Episode Three: Sick Day

EXT. FORRESTER COURTYARD

AJ is walking up the stairs to Forrester

AJ (V.O.)

Shadows... that's where cowards lurk. Where forgotten secrets lie, waiting to be uncovered. Even when some people want them to stay buried. Where people put the things they want to hide the most. Everyone wants to look in the shadows just to see what's there... but sometimes it's better left unseen.

A pause.

AJ (V.O.)

I didn't come up with that, by the way. I got it from a poster.

A sickeningly sweet voice calls out.

BECKY

AJ!

AJ winces at the sound, turning to see BECKY walking up to him. He forces a smile.

AJ

Hi, Becky.

Becky walks up uncomfortable close to AJ, her smile unnerving.

BECKY

I assume you didn't forget our little conversation yesterday?

AJ

I gave you what you needed. Now just leave me alone.

BECKY

Aw, that's no way to treat your best friend's new girlfriend.

AJ

Leave James out of this.

BECKY

He brought himself into this, AJ. I hope you don't make the same mistake.

AJ

We've all known you for years. How have we never seen this side of you?

Becky smirks.

BECKY

Some of us start acting from an early age.

AJ just sighs.

AJ

Whatever. What do you want?

BECKY

Just wanted to remind that James hears of _none_ of this. You're just going to be your usual goofy self.

AJ grits his teeth

AJ

I'll take a page out of your book and pretend.

BECKY

That's the spirit!

Becky pats AJ on the back and walks away, leaving AJ furious. CHARLOTTE enters just behind AJ.

CHARLOTTE

Didn't realize you were such good friends with Becky.

AJ turns around, grinning.

AJ

Thought I might as well get to know her if she's going to be sticking around.

CHARLOTTE

How brave of you. I get tired just being in the same room as her.

AJ

Why's that?

CHARLOTTE

I know her type. Ditzy, nothing behind the eyes.

AJ can't help but laugh at that, slightly hysterically.

CHARLOTTE

AJ?

AJ

I-I'm fine, I'm fine.

CHARLOTTE

That was just alarming.

AJ

I'm okay, Charlotte.

CHARLOTTE

I didn't ask.

AJ

Mean.

CHARLOTTE

Only to my friends. Now come on. I don't want to deal with James if we're late.

The two of them walk inside.

INT. FORRESTER HALLWAYS

Becky and ANGELA walk through the hallways, Angela pausing to take various selfies with fans.

ANGELA

So... how are things going with your new boo?

BECKY

Ugh, please don't call him that.

ANGELA

Well, I'm _sorry_. Like it or not, he's your boyfriend now.

BECKY

I'm aromantic, Angela. I get why we need to do this, but it's still a little uncomfortable.

Angela sticks her tongue out.

ANGELA

Whatever you say, Your Majesty. Just don't get too cocky now that you're dating Mr. Class President.

BECKY

...of course not, Angie.

Angela tosses her hair.

ANGELA

I would offer myself of course, but my heart belongs to someone else.

BECKY

You're still pining after that model you met at your dads' exhibicion?

ANGELA

He SMILED at me, Becky!

Becky just chuckles.

ANGELA

Plus, there's no denying that James has always been making puppy dog eyes at you.

BECKY

You really think so?

ANGELA

Oh, don't tell me you haven't seen it.

BECKY

Well... maybe a little.

ANGELA

Anyway, first order of business for you. My math teacher's been pestering me to actually _go to class_ or whatever. Have James sort that out.

BECKY

Is that really worth it?

ANGELA

I have math nausea. It's very medical.

Becky rolls her eyes.

BECKY

I'll get right on it.

ANGELA

You're a peach!

BECKY

Ew.

ANGELA

Yeah. I was trying some new slang.

BECKY

Don't.

ANGELA

I don't listen to you, Beck... but I have decided to stop using it.

BECKY

I've gotta go, Angie. I'll talk to you later.

ANGELA

You know you are. I've got to get all the school gossip while it's piping hot.

Becky smiles as the two girls separate, but her expression quickly morphs to one of disgust.

INT. FORRESTER CAFETERIA

AJ, Charlotte, Becky, and JAMES are all sitting on a second floor lunch table. Charlotte's playing a game on her phone while James and Becky laugh and talk. AJ just watches the two of them fearfully.

JAMES

And so then I had my algebra teacher fired _and_ accused of tax fraud!

BECKY

Oh my gosh! Is she okay?

James' smile wavers.

JAMES

Um, sure. Yeah. Probably, right?

CHARLOTTE

Ms. Atwood? She's rotting in prison.

JAMES

METAPHORICALLY. She's rotting in prison _metaphorically_.

Charlotte just purses her lips and plays her game.

AJ

Yep! What a great metaphor, James! You are so funny!

AJ laughs nervously as he gets awkward looks.

BECKY

You okay, AJ?

She glares at him and he gulps.

AJ

Yep! Perfect, in fact! Never been better!

CHARLOTTE

Don't worry, Becky. He's always this awkward.

AJ

Hey!

BECKY

That's a little mean, Char. I'm sure AJ's trying his best to _act normal_.

CHARLOTTE

Nobody calls me Char.

JAMES

Break it up, everyone. I don't want a migraine until at least the afternoon.

BECKY

Oh, James! My grandmother showed me a great way to deal with headaches! I'll be right back.

JAMES

Okay! See you, Becky!

Becky exits and James leans forward on the table, a stupidly happy look on his face.

JAMES

Isn't she great?

CHARLOTTE

You two are sickening.

AJ

I, um... I think it's cute.

JAMES

 _Thank_ you, AJ. Besides, this alliance is very politically advantageous.

CHARLOTTE

Let me guess which part you're more excited about.

JAMES

It's about a 50-50 split.

CHARLOTTE

Whatever, just don't try and marry me off to some lord.

James rolls his eyes.

JAMES

Fine. AJ, cross that out on the calendar.

CHARLOTTE

WHAT?!

JAMES

What, you're the only one allowed to be sarcastic?

Charlotte punches James in the arm.

CHARLOTTE

I'm the only one that's any good at it.

Becky comes back with a cup of hot chocolate.

BECKY

Hey, James! Here it is! My grandmother's famous hot chocolate!

JAMES

It smells delicious!

CHARLOTTE

You carry hot chocolate ingredients with you at all times?

BECKY

You never know when someone will need a taste of heaven.

She gives AJ a look.

AJ

Y-yep. Sounds like wise words to me.

BECKY

Drink it, James. I promise you'll feel a little better.

JAMES

Well, a promise from Becky Poller's as good as gold.

He takes a long sip of the hot chocolate, and Becky smiles. AJ's eyes widen.

AJ

Um, James!?

JAMES

Mmhm?

BECKY

 _What_ is it, AJ?

AJ's eyes dart from side to side nervously.

AJ

Um... do you feel any better yet?

JAMES

Well, it's delicious, but not an instant headache cure just yet.

BECKY

Give it some time. It'll work.

Lunch continues, with AJ looking totally helpless but forcing a smile on his face. The sound fades out to a babble.

INT. JAMES' BATHROOM

James retches into a toilet as his mother Catherine's voice can be heard from downstairs.

CATHERINE

There is no way you're going to school in that state! Forrester can't see their leader as weak!

James stands triumphantly.

JAMES

I'm fine! I'm unstoppable! Forrester will embrace me for the icon of leadership that I-

James sleeps peacefully in bed, snoring loudly.

INT. FORRESTER 

Becky walks through the halls, Charlotte walking up to her side.

CHARLOTTE

Have you heard from James? He's normally here before all of us.

BECKY

Is he not here? I hope nothing's holding him up.

CHARLOTTE

Eh. If push comes to shove I'll assume emergency powers and lock James out of school until he pays me back for lunch next week.

BECKY

Well, I'll just head up to the office to wait for him.

CHARLOTTE

I'll be there soon. I have like, three teachers to threaten.

BECKY

Good luck!

Becky walks up the stairs to the office, making a beeline for James' computer and opening it up, typing in a password.

BECKY

Just one little email and your whole empire crumbles, Orwick...

Charlotte walks out of a classroom, the sounds of a sobbing teacher behind her. AJ comes running up to meet her.

CHARLOTTE

Hey, AJ. You just missed me telling Ms. Hunter that if she doesn't stop failing students for no reason, we'll sell her house.

AJ

...wish I could have been there... Anyway, I heard from James' mom. He's sick in bed.

CHARLOTTE

James always comes to school. Must be _really_ sick.

Suddenly, a collective 'Ding' rings out from all the students' pockets. Charlotte and AJ pull out their phones, along with the other students around them.

CHARLOTTE

An email from James? That's impossible.

JAMES (V.O.)

To the idiotic students of Forrester: I understand that not everyone's accepted my leadership. Well, guess what, losers?! I don't care _who_ I have to hurt to get my way, so you all had better get on your knees and worship me or I'll make you disappear! You're all morons!

The students go into a state of pandemonium.

STUDENT ONE

What? James really thinks of us like that?!

CHARLOTTE

No, no! Not publicly, at least. He didn't send this!

AJ

Charlotte... come on. I know who sent it.

CHARLOTTE

What? Who?

AJ

Becky...

CHARLOTTE

How do you know that?

AJ

Just come on!

They begin to run, but Becky turns the corner in front of them, two large guards backing her up. She clicks her fingers and they restrain AJ and Charlotte.

BECKY

You two are staying right there.

AJ

Agh! Let us go!

CHARLOTTE

Huh, maybe you're not so ditzy. Respect to you.

BECKY

Respect will get you nowhere, Charlotte. Now if you'll excuse me, I have a school to win over.

Becky turns around and walks away, Angela running up to her side.

ANGELA

Becky! Have you _seen_ this email James sent?!

BECKY

Oh, James didn't send that. I did.

ANGELA

 _What_?!

BECKY

Move aside, Angie. Time for me to take my rightful place.

ANGELA

You sent the whole school into turmoil!

BECKY

Turmoil's just an elevator to the top, Angie. And there's only room for one.

Angela furrows her brow.

BECKY

It's a _metaphor_ , moron.

Angela stands there, dumbstruck, as Becky moves to the balcony, yelling to the students below.

BECKY

Forrester! Where is your leader!? Where is _James_!?

The crowd quiets.

BECKY

He doesn't care about any of you! He promised to make this school great, and he insults his subjects to their faces! What are we going to do? Lie down and take it?!

STUDENTS

No!

BECKY

Don't you want a leader that actually cares about you?!

STUDENTS

Yeah!

BECKY

Well, Forrester, that leader is me!

Angela's eyes widen and she moves to Becky's side.

ANGELA

What?! Becky, _I'm_ in charge, remember? That's the plan!

BECKY

Plans change, Angela. Plans change.

Becky turns back to the cheering crowd.

INT. FORRESTER CLASSROOM

James walks frantically back and forth, utterly panicking.

JAMES

How could this happen?!

AJ

Well, Becky sent an email insulting everyone and then-

JAMES

I _know_ how it happened, AJ! God, I take back power and within a day, I've already lost it.

CHARLOTTE

Oh, relax, James. We overthrew one power-hungry megalomaniac. Two should be easy.

JAMES

She has the entire school behind her! She _poisoned_ me! A-and keeping that act up from elementary school? I can't imagine...

CHARLOTTE

You heartbroken?

JAMES

I'm heartless, Charlotte.

AJ

Well, if you don't feel confident overthrowing her by ourselves... we could get some help from someone.

James narrows his eyes.

JAMES

Who did you have in mind?

AJ

Well... there is someone who's on your level...

JAMES

 _No_.

AJ

Yes...

CUT TO:

INT. FORRESTER

Will is playing the piano like a super edgy boi, brutally slamming his fingers against the keys.

JAMES

I think you've abused that piano enough, William.

Will jerks, his fingers playing an unflattering chord. He turns to see James, AJ, and Charlotte.

WILL

James.

JAMES

Will.

AJ

AJ!

AJ gets weird looks from everyone.

WILL

Why are you here?

JAMES

You know why I'm here.

Will laughs.

WILL

You think I'll help you after everything you did?

JAMES

I think that if you want me to help fix your reputation, you'll do what I need.

WILL

If you had read that document _closely_ , you'd see that I stopped being a patient of the clinic four years ago.

JAMES

Oh, I saw that. It just didn't fit with the message I wanted.

Will chuckles.

WILL

You're ruthless, Orwick.

JAMES

So are you. That's why we need you to take back this school from Becky.

WILL

Flattery's appreciated, but it won't get you anywhere.

JAMES

We can reward you. A place in the government, perhaps?

Will walks over to James, tapping the other boy's shoulder.

WILL

Not just any place in the government.

JAMES

You want to be equal to _me_?

WILL

Co-leaders. Working together.

JAMES

You think I trust you?

WILL

Do you trust Becky more? Besides, I can be _very_ helpful.

Will sticks out his hand.

WILL

Partners?

James hesitates before shaking Will's hand.

JAMES

Partners.

End episode.


	4. Rule the School S1E4

**Episode Four: Secrets Revealed**

Synopsis: The gang tries to bring down Becky, but AJ's past comes back to haunt him

_We open with shots of Will walking down a hallway_

Will (internal monologue)- Allies are necessary to survive. Nobody lasts long without help. But sometimes you're stuck with allies that you would rather not have. But, you have to make do with what you have.

_We see Will trying to fight off a group of thugs. He's a good fighter, but there's too many of them. They have him pinned up against a wall. Suddenly, we hear James' voice._

James- Kindly release Mr. Cross there.

Thug- Ha, we don't answer to you. We work for Becky now!

James- Well, do you think Becky would be so eager to hire you if she knew what you said about her in ninth grade?

_The thug hesitates, then blows it off as if it's nothing_

Thug- Pfff, whatever. Come on, guys.

_The thugs exit, releasing Will. He quickly gets up and brushes himself off_

Will- I was doing just fine.

James- Uh, you're welcome.

_James and Will start to walk_

Will- You really think this is going to work?

James- Of course. This will all be over soon, and everything will be back to normal

_They arrive at an office and open the door. Angela's sitting there, looking very disgruntled. We see James take note of this._

James- We have an appointment with Becky

_Angela examines a sheet. She waves them along, not looking up._

Angela (impatiently)- Yes, yes, go.

James- You're lucky to have such a high position in the new order.

Angela- Yeah, _lucky_

_Will and James open a door to reveal Becky in James' old office, examining a piece of paper. She turns towards them with a fake smile._

Becky- James, Will, so _good_ to see you.

_James and Will hide their disgust_

James- We're here to tell you what the students want.

Will- We would like to expand the cafeteria, give more money to music programs-

_Becky interrupts_

Becky- Let me make one thing clear. I don't _care_ what the people want. This school is filled with moronic sheep that'll do whatever I say, so don't tell me what the _people_ want.

_Will and James suppress smiles._

Will- That's all we needed, thanks

_They exit. Will reaches into his pocket but there's nothing_

Will (whispering)- Do you have it?

James (whispering)- I thought you had it!

Becky- Looking for this?

_Will and James turn to see Becky holding a small recording device. She drops it and crushes it under her shoe._

Becky- Really, boys? Trying to record me? I expected more. I'm insulted that you think I'll be beaten that easily

_Thugs come in from Becky's sides_

Becky- Please remove these boys from the premises

_We cut to later. James, Will, AJ, and Charlotte, are standing around a table._

Will- Hmm. This may prove more difficult than expected.

James- You can say that again! I don't have any information on Becky! How are we supposed to beat her?

AJ- Well, _we_ might not have any information on her

Charlotte- But there has to be someone that does

Will- But there isn't anyone close to Becky that has any incentive to betray her

_We see James come up with something. He smiles_

James- Isn't there?

_We cut to Angela leaping around dramatically, while James, Will, AJ, and Charlotte watch_

Angela- And she _promised_ she'd put me in charge, and she betrayed me! Oh, the lamentation! Then she _presumes_ to make me her _secretary_. I deserve more!

_Will patiently stands up_

Will- That's exactly why we're here. You want to bring Becky down. We want to bring Becky down. We must be allies if we can hope to survive.

_Angela huffs_

Angela- Survival? Is that it? You think I'm going to join you for _survival?_

James- Forgive Will's choice of words. We don't just offer survival, we offer vengeance.

Charlotte- Justice

AJ- Power

_Angela attempts to look disinterested, but she's already made up her mind_

Angela- Oh, all right, I _suppose_ I'll help you.

Will- Superb. Firstly, tell us any information about Becky you know. Her fears, her insecurities, anything.

Angela- Well, she's afraid of sporks.

AJ- Sporks?!

Angela- If I had a nickel for every time I had to hear how spoons and forks were never meant to be together…

James- Yes, this is perfect. Charlotte, are you getting this down?

Charlotte- Yes.

Angela- Oh, wait! There's a great opportunity to make your move coming up tomorrow! Becky's throwing a banquet for the upper class of the school. If you can get in and expose her for what she really is, you could get your power back.

Charlotte- That's perfect. James, what do you think?

_James is deep in thought_

James- One thing still perplexes me, though. How did Becky get my passwords?

_We see AJ gulp, but finally raise his head_

AJ- It was me.

James- What?!

AJ- She blackmailed me. I'm sorry, James, I really am.

James- What could she possibly have to blackmail you with?

_A small smile grows on Will's face._

Will- Oh, you haven't told him yet.

James- What? Told me what?

Will- Well, you see, when I first rose to power, I never would have gotten your passwords on my own. I had a little help.

_James is confused, but then it dawns upon him. He turns towards AJ_

James- You?

AJ- James, it was a long time ago, and I've regretted it ever…

James- Shut your mouth! For two years, you acted like you wanted to help me come back, but you're the one that put me there to begin with!

AJ- But-

James- I don't want to hear it! Get out!

_AJ opens his mouth, but then his head drops, and he walks away. James looks betrayed, but hides it behind a cold mask_

Charlotte- James-

James- I'm fine. We need to get to work quickly.

_James takes a tiny camera out of his pocket and hands it to Angela_

James- Angela, use this to get anything you can of Becky being cruel- anything to make her look bad. Whatever you do, don't let her see it. She trusts you, or at least doesn't think you're smart enough to do anything.

Angela- Hey!

James- The banquet's tomorrow, so get as much footage as you can.

Angela- Oh, that'll be easy. Becky has her meeting with the class representatives in a while. You should see how she is with them!

James- Perfect. When you have enough, email it to Charlotte, and she'll organize it. Tonight, I need you to email all of us a brief on how the banquet is planned so we can formulate a plan of attack.

Angela- Um, okay.

Charlotte- Are you sure? We can wait a while…

James- No! We have to strike. Will, we'll meet at my house to discuss what we should do.

Charlotte- But-

_James turns around to look at Charlotte. His face is stone. Charlotte sighs and steps back_

Will- If you insist.

_We cut to James's house, later that day. Will's standing, looking at a computer. James is sitting in a gaming chair, furiously punching buttons, playing a fighting game._

Will- This footage from Angela and Charlotte's great! You want to check it out?

James- No, I'm sure it's fine. Whatever.

_We see Will's reflection on the video game screen. He sighs_

Will- Look, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have told you about AJ

James- It's fine. It's not _your_ fault

Will- AJ just wanted power. How is he any different from you or me?

James- But he never told me! He never tried to make it up to me!

Will- But he did! Everything he did to help you get back to the top, that's his way of saying sorry. Did you know I offered AJ a position in my government for his help, and he refused? You can't change what he did, but you can change how you react.

_We see James think about it, finally settling on a weak smile_

James- So, the mental patient has become the therapist 

_They both laugh._

James- Thanks, Will. I'll talk to him after this is all over. In the meantime… do you play?

_Will grins_

Will- I thought you'd never ask

_We see a time-lapse of James and Will playing video games into the night. We see them asleep. Will's head falls onto James' shoulder. Then we cut to the next day, where they're all at Angela's house. Angela's jumping up and down with anticipation. Will and James are both wearing suits, and Angela's wearing a dress. The boys' hair is combed, and Angela's hair is in a ponytail._

Angela- Okay, are you ready?

Will- Yes, just bring her out.

Angela- Okay. Come out.

Charlotte (off-screen)- I look ridiculous.

Angela- Just get out here.

_A door opens and Charlotte comes out. She's wearing a blue dress, and her blonde hair is in a bun. She does not look happy. Angela squeals._

Angela- Oh! You look so cute!

Charlotte- I look like a Barbie

_Angela stares at her blankly._

Angela- So…?

James- Come on, we have to get to the banquet. Remember, keep your heads down, and pretend like we're socializing so Becky doesn't get suspicious.

Will- Woah, woah, woah. We can't go to the banquet now!

Charlotte- Why not?

Will- We have to leave the viewers hanging.

_Will turns to the camera and winks._

Will- See you next week, folks.

_End episode._


	5. Rule the School S1E5

**Episode Five: Becky’s Banquet**

Synopsis: James and his newly arrayed allies make their move

_We start with a shot of Becky making a speech at the beginning of her banquet_

Becky- Thank you all so much for coming tonight! I know that together, we'll make this school so great!

_The crowd cheers. We then cut to James, Will, and Charlotte standing in the corner, wearing hats and sunglasses to disguise themselves. James is speaking into an earpiece._

James- Is he here?

_We cut to Angela outside the room_

Angela- He's coming in now

_We cut back to the room. Will nods at Charlotte, and she ducks her head and walks out. We follow her as she exits the room and sees a guy. We zoom in on a flash drive he's holding. Charlotte walks towards him, then pretends to trip and bumps into him. We see her quickly exchange his flash drive for another one that she is holding._

Charlotte- Oh, so sorry! I can be so clumsy!

Tech Guy (mumbling)- It's fine, it's fine. I'm late for the banquet, and I have to set up the presentation.

Charlotte- Oh, okay. You be on your way then!

Tech Guy- Say, haven't I seen you somewhere-

_He looks up, but Charlotte is already gone. We cut to back to James and Will inside the ballroom. Charlotte walks in, and they begin to walk together towards the backstage entrance._

Will- Okay, does everyone know what they're supposed to say.

James- Yes, but why do you get to say more words than me?

Will- Well, I just think I have a more… _commanding_ voice than you.

James- Oh yeah, how many cough drops do you take a day?

Charlotte- Oh, grow up!

_They arrive at the entrance, but it's guarded. One of the guards examines a list_

Guard 1- You're not on our list of people permitted to enter

Charlotte- Trust me, we're allowed to be here

Guard 2- If you're not on the list, then you can't come in

Angela (off-screen)- They're with me

_We see Angela_

Guard 2- But they're not on the list!

Angela- They're helping with Becky's speech. So, unless you want to see Becky angry, then I advise you let them in.

_The guards appear shocked_

Guard 1- B-but without the list, there's nothing

Guard 2- What's life without the list?

_The guards both fall to their knees. Will, Charlotte, and James, walk past. Will pauses by them._

Will- If you need some help, I know a great therapy center

_Angela, Will, James, and Charlotte start walking away_

Both Guards (off-screen and in the distance)- THE LIST!

_We see them walk past a mysterious figure who is wearing a hood. We see the hooded figure watch them as they pass by._

Angela- You're just in time. Becky's speech will be starting soon.

James- Angela

Angela- Yeah?

James- Thank you.

Angela- Don't thank me, reward me.

Charlotte- Hey guys, how are we going to keep Becky off the stage?

Will- Well, that's child's play

_He gestures to the stage entrances, which are sealed off by lines of sporks_

Will- By the time she musters the strength to get past them, it'll be too late

Becky (off-screen)- Get out of my way! It's time for my speech!

Angela- Get away!

_We see Becky enter the room. She sees Angela, Charlotte, James, and Will. She sneers._

Becky- Did you really think those disguises could fool me? You're still trying to rebel? And Angela!

_Angela gulps, afraid she'll be revealed as a traitor._

Becky- I can't believe you were fooled by these idiotic disguises. I don't know why I put up with you

_Angela breathes._

Becky- Besides, you're too late. Once I make my speech, my power will be cemented.

_She begins to walk towards the stage entrance, not looking down until she hears a crunch at her feet. She slowly looks down, sees the sporks, and shrieks, jumping back._

Becky- Ah! How did they…

_Becky turns towards Angela._

Becky- How could you? I'm your friend

_Angela laughs._

Angela- I was friends with the act. The fake Becky. Not… this.

Becky (yelling)- Guards! Get over here!

_Charlotte, Angela, James, and Will walk onto the stage. Guards arrives, but the doors close and lock._

Becky- Go around! Stop them!

_We cut to Tech Guy. He puts the flash drive in. A screen lowers from the stage. A video starts to play. We see shots of Becky smiling and talking to people. We hear James' voice on the video._

James (on video)- Becky Poller. Kind. Generous. Selfless.

_Pause._

James (on video)- Liar

_The audience gasps. On the video screen, we see a picture of Becky with the words 'Exposing Becky Poller' underneath. James, Will, Charlotte, and Angela walk onstage. They bow._

Will- Hello, everyone. We're here today because you, the upper class, deserve to know the truth about your leader.

James- You all see Becky as a sweet girl just trying to help everyone

Charlotte- Well, rest assured, you won't see her the same way after this.

_We see Becky arrives with guards at a doorway, staring in shock. The mysterious figure from before is in the audience and looks at Angela, Charlotte, James, and Will._

Will- Thanks to our own Angela Farrenburr for getting this footage for us. Now, sit back, and let the truth be revealed

_The video starts playing. We see guards beating up a sixth-grader while Becky stands over him._

Becky (on video)- What? Do you still want a longer lunch period?

_We see Becky taking a box that says 'Suggestions' on it, taking pieces of paper out of it, and putting it in the shredder, chuckling. Then we cut to Becky at a meeting with other students._

Becky (on video)- I don’t care if Mr. Roy quit. Find yourself a new teacher.

_The video goes to black as we hear Becky repeat the same phrase over and over._

Becky (on video)- I don't care about this school… I don't care about this school… I don't care about this school. They're all morons… they're all morons…

_The video ends._

Will- You have been deceived by Ms. Poller. She doesn't care about the people of this school. What do you say to that?

_Silence. Then, one aristocrat speaks_

Aristocrat- Who cares about the people? She's fine to us!

_The crowd roars in agreement. Will, James, Angela, and Charlotte's jaws drops at the aristocrats' selfishness. We see Becky shake herself out of shock_

Becky- Come on! Get them!

_Becky and her guards start running towards the stage. James, Will, Charlotte, and Angela are panicking until a voice rings out._

Mysterious Figure (off-screen)- Wait!

_Everyone stops. We see Mysterious Figure. He takes off the hood, and it's AJ! He walks up to the stage, walking past a shocked James._

AJ- You may not care about the people, but I know you care about yourselves.

_AJ reaches down and picks up a cup of liquid in the center of the table_

AJ- You were all told to drink this after the meal. Well, I acquired some samples yesterday. Thank you, Angela.

_Angela nods. James looks at her, and she shrugs._

AJ- I tested it, and it contains high amounts of some poison that I can't pronounce

_Everyone stares blankly at him except for Becky. AJ sighs._

AJ- It’s probably a type of carbamate. It works almost immediately and causes long-term nausea and fever. A small enough dose that it's not fatal, but enough to keep you out of school for at least a month. Becky didn't call you here to celebrate. She wanted to get rid of you! 

_The crowd gasps. Becky walks in front of them, looking confident._

Becky- Oh, please! He's bluffing! These traitors will say anything to get their power back.

_AJ hands the glass to a confused James._

AJ- Oh, then you wouldn't mind if James drank some of it to make sure?

James- _Excuse_ me?

AJ- Just play along!

_James fingers the glass for a tense minute, and Becky narrows her eyes. Then, she closes her eyes and runs towards AJ. He holds up a spork, and she stops in her tracks, hisses at him, and runs out of the room. The crowd is silent for a moment, but then they start to cheer and storm the stage. We see a student run towards James._

Student- James, you're in charge again!

_James pauses._

James- No. Will and I are in charge. Hey, Will, come over here.

_We cut to a group of girls squealing around Charlotte._

Girl 1- Charlotte, you look so great!

Girl 2- Who did your hair?

Charlotte- Oh, it was Angela!

_Angela walks in_

Girl 1- Angela, will you do my hair!

_Angela whispers to Charlotte._

Angela (whispering)- You should have me do your hair every day.

Charlotte- Ha! I may look great, but there's no way I could do this every day. How do you survive in such tight clothes?

_Angela winks._

Angela- You're not ready for that secret yet

_We cut to James walking across the stage. He bumps into AJ._

AJ- Oh, um, I'll go

James- What? You saved us! You're not still hung up about the past, are you? That's old news! Come on!

_James leads AJ away. As they pass Will, James stops._

James- Hey, thanks for what you said last night.

Will- Hey, we're working together now, aren't we?

_Will holds his hand out._

Will- Partners?

_James smiles and takes his hand._

James- Friends.

_We see shots of James, Will, AJ, Charlotte, and Angela smiling and talking to each other and to other students._

James (internal monologue)- Victory is sweet. But it's even sweeter when you have someone to share it with.

Will (internal monologue)- Especially when that someone is pretty much the coolest person in school.

James (internal monologue)- Hey, this is my internal monologue! Get out!

Charlotte (internal monologue)- Is this where we're hanging out now?

Angela (internal monologue)- Did I leave the stove on?

AJ (internal monologue)- Oo, I'm not even the main character, and I get two internal monologues?

James (internal monologue)- Ugh, this had better not carry on next episode

_End episode_


	6. Rule the School S1E6

**Episode Six: Vacation on Lapotric Island**

Synopsis- James, Will, Charlotte, AJ, and Angela take a vacation, but what will Forrester do without any leaders?

_We open with James, Will, Charlotte, AJ, and Angela on a stage, addressing the student body_

James- It's so good to be back in charge, but we need a break.

Will- We're going on vacation to Lapotric Island

James- Now, we wouldn't do this if we didn't trust you to be good while we're gone

Charlotte- So behave yourselves! We'll be back before you know it.

AJ- Listen to your class representatives, they're in charge.

James- Bu-bye.

_They leave the stage and exit through the door. The crowd is silent for a moment, then bursts into panic_

Student 1- We have no leader!

Student 2- What will we do!

_A class representative walks onto the stage_

Class Representative- Now, now, calm down. Listen to-

_Class Representative is hit by a paintball. He dramatically falls to the ground. We see the student that shot him glancing around nervously. Suddenly, everyone yells and runs to get various foam weapons and paintball guns. They pull them from lockers and start attacking each other. We see Becky run on stage._

Becky- They're gone! Follow me!

_Becky is hit by a barrage of foam knives, paintballs, and rulers and acts out a dramatic death. We cut to Lauren and Unnamed Friend. Unnamed Friend is chucking rulers, and Lauren has no weapon_

Lauren- How come everyone has these weapons in their lockers?

Unnamed Friend- Well, Lauren, it all started eons ago, before James or Will came to Forrester.

_We go into a dramatic flashback._

Unnamed Friend- It was chaos, anarchy. But there was one way to rise up… through battle. Ever since, just in case chaos erupted again, everyone has kept their weapons.

_Lauren shrugs_

Lauren- Fair enough, but are you actually getting in on this? It's so… uncivilized.

Unnamed Friend- Well, if you ask me-

_A paintball strikes Unnamed Friend on the chest. She falls to the ground._

Lauren- No! Unnamed Friend! Just get back up.

Unnamed Friend (whispering)- I can’t. It’s the ruuules. I’m dead for fifteen minutes.

Lauren- Unnamed Friiiend!

_Lauren turns her head, and we see Christopher holding a pistol. He smiles, and Lauren yells. She balls her fists and runs at Christopher. Christopher turns and runs. Lauren runs after him, elbowing anyone that gets in her way. One person with a meter stick blocks her path. She kicks him in the stomach, flips him over his shoulder. She picks up his meter stick and wields it against the crowd. We follow her taking down people and collecting weapons for a while. Then we cut to a hotel, where James, Will, AJ, and Angela have just walked in with their luggage. Angela is wearing sunglasses, and for once, they're all in casual clothes. They talk as they walk up to the check-in._

Angela- James, it's so cool that your parents let us come here on our own!

_James shrugs_

James- I mean, it's only an hour's boat ride from home. Besides, they know I can take care of myself.

AJ- You know, when we were four, James' stove caught fire! James just calmly escorted us out of the house and called the fire department!

_They all laugh. Then, they reach the desk. A hotel worker is waiting for them._

Will- Um, yes. We have a suite booked under Jillajangelotte.

_Charlotte looks at Will strangely._

Will- What? It's all our names together

_The hotel worker looks at a sheet of paper_

Hotel Worker- You're in rooms 231 and 232.

James- Excuse me, there must be a mistake. We booked the suite on floor 4

Hotel Worker- Yes, the suite was taken by Mr. Liev.

_Hotel worker points and we see Mr. Liev. He's working on a computer with a flash drive in it_

Charlotte- But we booked the room _first_

_Hotel worker chuckles_

Hotel Worker- Sorry, but Mr. Liev is the CEO of Liev Tech Company, and I'm not going to give his suite to a bunch of kids.

_AJ starts to run at the hotel worker, but James and Will restrain him and force smiles_

Will- Thank you _so much_ for your help. If you'll excuse us, we're going to go talk to Mr. Liev

_They walk over to Mr. Liev_

James- Excuse me, Mr. Liev

_Mr. Liev looks up_

Will- We're also staying at this hotel, and we booked the suite on floor 4 before you. We were wondering if you'd be willing to give it up.

Mr. Liev- Oh, _of course_. Why _wouldn't_ I give my suite to a bunch of bratty kids? Ha! Sleep in the dirt for all I care.

_James grits his teeth so hard, he almost cracks a tooth_

James- Sorry for wasting your time, Mr. Liev. Goodbye.

_They walk away_

Angela- Did you really think that was going to work?

Will- Well, it was worth a shot

James- Besides…

_James pulls out a flash drive_

James- We had a plan B.

_We cut back to Forrester. Many students are lying on the floor, covered in paintballs. Foam weapons and paintballs are flying left and right. Cries ring out. Everyone's fighting when we hear a yell_

Christopher- STOP!

_Everyone pauses and looks at the stage. Christopher is there, flanked by several bodyguards_

Christopher- This anarchy has to stop! We have to unite if we want to survive!

_We hear Lauren's voice_

Lauren- And who are you?

_The crowd parts and we see Lauren. She has war paint on her face, a meter stick and plastic sword slung over her back, a belt with two pistols in it. She has extra ammo slung over her shoulders._

Christopher- My name… is Christopher!

Background- Duh-nuhhhh!

Christopher- Rally behind me, and we'll create a new order!

Lauren- Ha! I'll never follow you!

_Christopher sighs_

Christopher- Well, I think we need to make an example. The unworthy must be purged! Those who will not serve under Christopher…

Background- Duh-nuhhhh!

Christopher- Must be removed from the equation. Get her!

_The crowd turns toward Lauren, raising their weapons. She pulls out her pistol and starts running, shooting anyone that gets in her way with erasers. A foam knife flies towards her, but she aims her gun and shoots it out of the air. She keeps shooting, but more keep coming. She backs up and runs up the stairs. The other students give chase. Running up the stairs and dodging bullets, Lauren frantically looks for a place to hide. Eventually, she turns a corner and runs into another staircase, climbing up to the third floor. The crowd of students runs past. Lauren sighs in relief, then turns around to see Gabriel pointing a gun at her._

Gabriel- Freeze.

_Lauren sighs and raises her hands in the air. Then we cut to Mr. Liev's suite. He's on the balcony, enjoying the view. We hear a voice from behind him._

James- Lovely day, isn't it?

_Mr. Liev whirls around. James, Will, Angela, AJ, and Charlotte are standing there_

Mr. Liev- How did you get in here?

_Will waves a hand dismissively_

Will- That's not what matters. What matters is some information we found

_AJ holds out the flash drive. Mr. Liev's eyes widen. Charlotte holds up some pictures of Mr. Liev with some other people. There are also photos of blueprints_

Charlotte- Tell me, Mr. Liev, what would happen if it got out that the leading tech company in America was actually getting their products from other countries. Russia, China, Denmark, you've stolen designs from all over.

Mr. Liev- No! You can't share those. I'll do anything!

Angela- Just give us the suite, and we'll make this disappear

Mr. Liev- It's yours, it's yours, just give me those!

Will- Oh, we'll be keeping these for…insurance.

AJ- Don't worry, if you don't cross us again, you have nothing to fear

_Mr. Liev runs angrily out of the room_

James- Ugh! I thought we came here to escape this kind of stuff

Will- Well, I'm sure that we can have the rest of our vacation in peace

AJ- Let the wacky hijinks begin!

Charlotte- I wonder how the kids at Forrester are doing

Angela- Oh, I'm sure they're fine

_We cut to the third floor at Forrester. Gabriel is pointing a gun at Lauren, and she's shuffling forward. The rest of the group comes out. We see Mr. Garcia, Emily, Oscar, Carmen, and Matthew. Lauren looks around at them_

Gabriel- I found this one running from half the school

Mr. Garcia- Hmmm. And what did you do to get them all after you?

Lauren- Mr. Garcia? You're here?

Mr. Garcia- Strength in numbers, ummmm…

Lauren- Lauren Lee!

Mr. Garcia- Whatever, just answer the question

Lauren- Well, I refused to follow Christopher

Background- Duh-nuhhhh!

Lauren- And he sent everyone after me

Emily- Who's Christopher?

Lauren- You don't know?

Matthew- We did the smart thing and ran away

Lauren- Whatever. Christopher's taken over, and I need your help to bring him down.

Carmen- Ha! Why should we help you?

Lauren- Because soon, Christopher's going to come for you.

_They fall silent. Finally, Oscar speaks_

Oscar- You…prove…yourself

Lauren- Prove myself? How?

Carmen- You'll have to fight Gabriel. If you win, we'll help you, but if you lose, then we'll hand you over to this Christopher.

_Lauren sighs_

Lauren- Okay.

_Gabriel lowers his weapon and walks about six feet away._

Mr. Garcia- Turn around.

_Lauren and Gabriel turn away from each other_

Mr. Garcia- On three. One…

_Lauren grips a foam knife from her belt_

Mr. Garcia- Two!

_Gabriel fingers his gun_

Mr. Garcia- Three!

_We see it in slow motion. Gabriel turns around and fires. Lauren turns around with her knife, knocking the paintball out of the air. She throws the knife. It hits Gabriel square in the chest, and he falls over. Everyone looks at his chest in shock, then looks at Lauren. She has a small smile on her face. Slowly, everyone falls to their knees, still staring at Lauren. We end the episode with a shot of her face, grinning._

_End episode_


	7. Rule the School S1E7

**Episode Seven: Training Time**

Synopsis- James and the gang build sand castles; meanwhile, Lauren needs to train her new troops

_We open with shots of quivering students. We zoom out and see paintball guns being held behind them. Christopher is standing in front of them, addressing the student body._

Christopher- These students have been disloyal! They defied the rule of… Christopher

_Nothing happens. Christopher looks over his shoulder at a guard and coughs. The guard hurriedly takes out his phone and presses a button_

Background- Duh-nuhhhh!

Christopher- Fire!

_The kneeling students are shot. They fall to the ground, groaning. We cut to a shot of Lauren and her followers observing from the second floor_

Gabriel- Jeez.

Carmen- Brutal. I see what you were talking about. We have to take this guy down.

Mr. Garcia- But to do that, we'll need better weapons. Where are we going to get those?

Emily- Who cares? There's no way that we can beat Christopher -

Background- Duh-nuhhhh!

Emily: - and his whole army!

Oscar- No…chance

_They look towards Lauren. She's deep in thought. She turns towards them and smiles_

Lauren- Don't be so negative! I think I might have a plan.

_We cut to the beach on Lapotric Island. Angela is sunbathing. Suddenly, she's hit with sand._

Angela- Hey!

_We see James, Will, and AJ._

Will- Sorry! We're just working on our sand castle

_We see the sand castle. It is huge and detailed. It has battlements. The walls are so large that James has to hold Will on his shoulders so that he can build them. We see AJ sculpting a statue of a muscular version of himself. There are multiple buildings surrounding the main castle._

Charlotte (off-screen)- Angela, I could use some help here

_We see Charlotte's sand castle. It is covered with sand spikes and has sand guards at the entrance. There are cannons mounted on the walls_

Angela- I'm not getting my hands dirty for your stupid competition

Charlotte- That's too bad, because if we win, then we get to be in charge of Forrester for a week

_Angela jumps up_

Angela- What are we waiting for? Let's go!

AJ- Guys, Charlotte has some help now

James- Oh, it'll be fine. But just in case, we need to gather more troops.

_Will comes walking over with a cup full of small live crabs_

Will- Already on top of it

_Will dumps the crabs in a large pit already full of crabs. James looks at one of the crabs- a small one that looks like it's constantly frowning_

James- I like this one. I'm going to name him Crabby. He's going to be my son.

Will- Hey, I wanted him to be _my_ son

James- Oh, fine, we can share him

_We see AJ carefully sculpting the muscles on his statue_

James- AJ, are you going to help build the actual castle?

AJ- I'll be right there, I have to get this _just_ right

_James smiles and shakes his head. We cut to a classroom at Forrester. The Dealer is counting a stash of weapons in the corner. He's smiling. We hear a voice from behind him._

Lauren- What a lovely collection

_The Dealer spins around. Lauren is standing there with her gang, blocking the door. Lauren gestures with her pistol_

Lauren- Please, have a seat

_The Dealer sits down. Lauren does as well_

Lauren- Now Cole-

The Dealer- Oh, you can call me… _The Dealer_

_Lauren rolls her eyes_

Lauren- Okay. So, Cole, I understand you've been gathering and dealing weapons

The Dealer- Well, yes, for the right price. What are you offering?

Lauren- Oh, we weren't planning on paying

_We see Lauren aiming her pistol at The Dealer under the table. The Dealer gulps_

The Dealer- Besides, I only sell to Christopher and his troops. No one else

_The Dealer turns to see Lauren's gang aiming guns at him_

Lauren- Please _consider_ selling to us

The Dealer- If Christopher

Background- Duh-nuhhhh!

The Dealer- finds out I did this-

Lauren- Oh, he'll have bigger problems soon enough

_Lauren nods at her gang. They take The Dealer's entire stash of weapons and exit the room. Then we cut back to the beach on Lapotric Island. James, Will, and AJ are working hard_

Will- There's no way we can lose! This is the best sand castle ever!

James- We can't get too cocky. AJ, scout out the girls' sand castle

AJ- Ugh, it's not like they'll be able tooooooooo…

_AJ's eyes widen. The girls' sand castle is incredible. Angela has added pink ribbons to each of the cannons. The castle is decorated with seashells and spikes. There are four towers, and Angela and Charlotte are laying on top of one of them, lying in sand lounge chairs and drinking juice. Charlotte sees AJ_

Charlotte- Oh, hey AJ! How's _your_ sand castle going

_We cut to later. James, Will, and AJ are meeting inside their castle. Will and James are sitting on sand thrones and AJ is standing before them._

AJ- What are we going to do!

James- As much as it pains me, we're going to have to sabotage them

Will- What?

James- AJ, I need you and a team of crabs to dig a tunnel into their courtyard. See if you can find any foundations and take them out.

_AJ salutes._

AJ- You got it

_We cut to the courtyard of the girls' castle. All is well, until the floor wriggles and AJ bursts up, covered in sand. He pulls himself out, and a squadron of crabs follows. AJ motions for the crabs to look around, and they spread out. AJ is looking around when he hears a click. He looks, and one of the crabs is pointing at a pillar holding up a floor._

AJ (whispering)- Jackpot

_AJ runs towards the pillar, but as he steps, the floor crumbles beneath him and he falls into a pit. Angela and Charlotte arrive and look down into the pit._

Angela- Trying to sabotage us?

Charlotte _\- Shameful_. Just _shameful_.

_We see one of the crabs look at the scene, then scuttle into the tunnel. We follow the crab. On its way down, it presses a certain area of the wall, and the area behind it caves in, preventing anyone from following it. We cut to later. James and Will are kneeling as the crab clicks its pincers_

James- They've taken AJ prisoner!?

Will- This means war!

James- I didn't want it to come to this. If they had just let us win unfairly, this wouldn't have happened.

Will- Unleash the armies.

_The crabs come scuttling out of the pit. Seagulls come out from a sand aviary and take flight. A small system of canals hosts squid, swimming in one direction. James stops Crabby_

James- Crabby, be careful out there

_Will is crying_

Will- Make Daddy proud

_Crabby gives a nod and joins the army. We cut to a tower of Angela and Charlotte's castle. They are observing James' army approaching_

Angela- An air force! Why didn't we think of that?

Charlotte- It doesn’t matter. Shoot them down

_Angela runs down to the cannons. She pulls a rope on each of them, and they fire balls of sand, bringing down several seagulls. We cut to James and Will_

James- Curses! They're bringing down the seagulls

Will- We still have more troops. Victory will be ours.

_Will looks down at a crab_

Will- Tell the squid to go find AJ

_We follow the crab as it scurries on the battlefield, passing a crab fighting another crab only for it to be dragged into the water by a squid. It reaches a squid and clicks at it. The squid nods. We see how the squid get around- there are canals dug on the battlefield filled with water. We follow the squid as they swim into the sand, pushing against it, until they end up in the moat surrounding the girls' castle. There are fish in the moat that go after the squid. Some of them are taken out of the fight, but one of them finds a tunnel leading out of the moat and underneath the castle. We see AJ whistling in his pit when he hears a knock from the floor. He scrambles up and digs in the floor to reveal the squid. AJ jumps in the water and starts to swim. The fight is raging outside. James and Will cheer on Crabby, who's fighting a much bigger crab_

James- Come on, Crabby!

Will- Get him!

_Crabby finally knocks the big crab away, but there are more to take his place. Crabby backs up against the edge of a canal. There are squid in there waiting for him to fall in. Crabby pauses, then charges into the crowd of crabs. He takes several out before they overpower him. They swarm over him_

James- No! Crabby!!

Will- My son!

_AJ emerges from the moat and walks to James and Will, who are shell-shocked. James' expression tightens_

James- Let's finish this

_We cut back to Forrester. Lauren's gang is standing in a line in front of the stash of weapons. Lauren goes down the line_

Lauren- Gabriel, you're a good shot, but I think you'd do better with these

_Lauren hands Gabriel a sword and shield. He looks at them nervously. Lauren moves down to Emily_

Lauren- What's your name?

Emily- Emily

Lauren- Run over there and back for me

_Emily does so_

Lauren- Good speed. Try these

_Lauren hands Emily two daggers and a couple bombs._

Emily- Uh, what are these

Lauren- A weapon of my own design. Watch.

_Lauren throws one of the bombs. It hits the ground and explodes into a barrage of paintballs. Emily grins. Lauren moves down to Oscar_

Lauren- And you are?

Oscar- …Oscar

Lauren- And what weapon do you want?

_Oscar grins and picks up two machine guns. Lauren nods and moves to Carmen_

Lauren- Finally, someone I know. You're in my English class. Carmen, right?

_Carmen nods. Lauren looks at Carmen's hands_

Lauren- Steady hands. I have the perfect thing for you

_Lauren hands Carmen a sniper rifle. She looks at it doubtfully. Lauren moves to Matthew._

Lauren- Name?

Matthew- Matthew

Lauren- What can you do?

Matthew- Well, I'm not so good with guns, but I can't really use blades either

_Lauren is not deterred_

Lauren- Today must be your lucky day, then!

_Lauren hands Matthew a bow and a quiver full of arrows. She moves to Mr. Garcia_

Lauren- Mr. Garcia, boy do I have the right weapon for you

_She hands Mr. Garcia a briefcase. He looks confused. Lauren presses a button on it and it turns into an assault rifle. Mr. Garcia smiles. Gabriel speaks_

Gabriel- No offense, but even with these weapons, how are supposed to take down the rest of the school? None of us are really great fighters.

Lauren- Well, that's simple. Training montage!

_We have a training montage. We see several things interspersed throughout. This is not the order; each number has multiple shots that are spread throughout the montage_

  1. _We see Lauren trying to teach Mr. Garcia to dodge bullets. He fails miserably the first times, but gradually gets better. The final shot of the montage is Lauren firing. Mr. Garcia catches the bullet. Lauren smiles_
  2. _We see Lauren sparring with Gabriel._



_Gabriel- How do you know this stuff anyways?_

_Lauren- Shooting range with my dad. Watch a lot of ninja movies_

_Gabriel is really bad at first, almost dropping his sword. He gets better, until we see him and Lauren sparring at high speed, standing on railings._

  1. _We see Lauren trying to help Emily use her daggers and bombs by sparring with her. Emily keeps missing her stabs and bombs, but gets better until Lauren shoots at Emily, and Emily throws down a bomb. Once it clears, Emily is gone. Lauren looks behind her, and Emily is jumping at her, daggers raised. Lauren dodges and shoots, but Emily dives to the side, too fast for Lauren to pin down._
  2. _We see Lauren helping Oscar with his machine guns against a bunch of propped-up mops_



_Lauren- There's not much to it. Just hold the trigger down_

_Oscar- No…need…help_

_Oscar lets loose and hits all the mops several times with a barrage of paintballs. Lauren shrugs and walks away._

  1. _We see Lauren trying to help Carmen aim her sniper rifle. At first Carmen can't even hit a cardboard box, but she gets better until Lauren throws a pencil and Carmen shoots it out of the air. Lauren shoots at Carmen, and she flips over the balcony, hanging onto the railing. She lets go and lands perfectly. Lauren smiles._
  2. _We see Lauren helping Matthew. At first, he can't even hit her standing still. Over the course of several shots, he gets better, until we see Lauren running. Matthew takes careful aim, fires, and misses. Lauren stops and frowns. Then the arrow hits her from behind, having bounced off a wall._



_We end the training montage with a group shot. Lauren looks around proudly at her gang_

Lauren- We're ready.

_We cut back to the beach, where a war is being waged. The two armies are brutally going at each other. Charlotte is manning a machine gun turret, firing shells at seagulls. We see James observing the chaos_

James- AJ, send the army to cross the moat and let down the drawbridge.

AJ- But that's a suicide mission. Most of them would get taken down before they even got close!

James- I don't care! We need that drawbridge down! Just do it!

_AJ reluctantly goes. James' entire army starts charging towards the castle. Charlotte and Angela notice this._

Angela- What are they doing? They're running straight towards the castle.

Charlotte- Call all the troops to intercept them. This is where it ends.

_The two armies gather. James' eyes radiate anger_

James- Charge!

_The two armies charge at each other. They're about to reach each other when…_

Will- Stop.

_James and AJ turn to look at Will_

Will- Enough lives have been lost today! And for what? For some silly game!

James- But they killed Crabby!

Will- Then think about what Crabby would have wanted! Would he have wanted this carnage! This war needs to stop!

_Will looks upwards to face Angela and Charlotte_

Will- Let's stop this petty conflict. Enough blood has been shed today.

_Charlotte nods. We cut to the night. The two castles have been joined together. In the middle of the courtyard, there is a sand statue of Crabby. Will, James, Charlotte, AJ, and Angela are gathered. James is holding Crabby's body._

James- Crabby was the greatest son I could have asked for

Will- That _we_ could have asked for

James- He was brave and fearless and fought hard. He shouldn't… he shouldn't have been taken from us so soon

_Angela, AJ, and Charlotte nod somberly. They exit the courtyard. James lays Crabby's body on a makeshift raft and pushes it out to sea. James and Will burst into tears. Crabby's raft goes out for a while before his body is picked up and carried away by a seagull. We see a shot of the sunset as James, Will, AJ, Charlotte, and Angela watch the waves. Then we see Lauren observing her team spar, smiling._

Lauren (internal monologue)- When we have leaders, they play a game. A game of deceit and lies. But when they leave, we play a new game. One with no trickery, only skill and luck. Many people try to play the leaders' game. Many fail. But the only real way to play our game… is with a team. That's how you rule the school.

_End episode_


	8. Rule the School S1E8

**Episode Eight: Rainforest Hike Adventure**

Synopsis- James and Will take a hike into Lapotric Island's famous rainforests, and Lauren and her forces face off in a final battle with Christopher.

_We open with shots of James and Will looking at Charlotte, Angela, and AJ. They're all looking at their phones and watching TV. The blinds are closed. James sighs._

James- Come on! We're on a beautiful island and we've barely gone outside.

_AJ waves his hand_

AJ- We'll go out later.

James- We only have one day left here!

Angela- We're fine!

_Will opens the blinds. AJ, Charlotte, and Angela scramble back and hiss._

Will- Well, we're sick of it. Stay here if you want to, but we're going to go on a hike in Lapotric Rainforest.

Charlotte- Sure, go on without us. We'll meet you there.

_James and Will leave the room_

Will- Do you think they'll come?

James- No way.

Will- Oh well, it'll still be fun

_James nods and smiles. Then we cut to Forrester. Mr. Garcia is standing nervously, surrounded by children holding paintball guns. He's holding a briefcase. Christopher is standing before him_

Christopher- And why should I leave your group alone? Soon, the whole school will bow before… Christopher!

Background- Duh-nuhhhh!

Mr. Garcia- Um, well, I have something for you in my briefcase.

Christopher- Well, open it up. Let's see what you have.

Mr. Garcia- Well, I can't just open the briefcase

Christopher- I can't negotiate if you won't show me what you have

Mr. Garcia- That's fine, because I'm not here to negotiate. I'm here to distract you.

_Startled, Christopher looks up, and we see Lauren and the rest of her group emerge from the shadows all around Christopher and his army. Christopher looks back towards Mr. Garcia_

Christopher- Get him!

_Guns are turned towards Mr. Garcia. He presses the button on his briefcase and it turns into an assault rifle. He spins in a circle, shooting people around. He runs for it, dodging bullets and shooting. He stops, and Christopher's army regroups. Lauren's troops begin to advance. Christopher runs back to the stage. We see a smile on Lauren's face. The battle begins. Then we cut to Will and James hiking in the rainforest. James is looking at a pamphlet_

James- So, it says that if we want to go to the river, we should go this way.

Will- Oh, I'm sure we'll find the river eventually. Lift your head from that pamphlet and look around. Man, AJ, Angela, and Charlotte really are missing out.

_James looks up and shrugs_

James- Personally, I prefer it this way

Will- Oh?

_James turns red_

James- I mean, there's less people, so we're moving faster. Plus, Angela would probably be complaining the whole way.

Will _\- Uh-huh_.

James- Forget about it. Let's just find the river

Will- You might want to look up, or else you might-

_James takes a step. The ground crumbles beneath him and he falls into a pit._

Will- James!

_Will looks down into a pit. He sees a small pool of water, but no James. Without hesitation, Will dives in. He sees James at the bottom of the pool, not moving. He grabs him and pulls him out. James doesn't appear to be breathing. Will shakes James._

Will- James! James!

_James coughs and opens his eyes._

Will- James! You're okay!

James- Oh, um, yeah, I'm okay.

_James sits up and looks around._

James- Where are we?

_James and Will see that the pool leads outside to a river._

Will- Looks like you found the river after all. We just have to swim out there and then find our way home. Let's go-

_James grabs a rock and hurls it against the top of the exit. A pile of rocks falls, blocking the exit._

Will- James, what did you do? Now we'll have to wait until the river washes the rocks away.

James- Oh, I'm so sorry. It… was an accident. Well, at least here there's a pool

Will- Maybe we could climb out

James- NO! I mean, it's too dangerous

_Will sighs_

Will- Have it your way, then.

_We cut back to the battle. Lauren's team is fighting furiously. Lauren observes from a balcony. She speaks into a walkie-talkie._

Lauren- Gabriel, they're getting too organized in their left section. Go spread some chaos.

_We cut to Gabriel observing a group of Christopher's people._

Gabriel- You got it, boss.

_Gabriel rushes at the group with his sword and shield. They turn towards him and fire, but he blocks it with his shield. He slices at them with his sword, knocking them aside. He bashes one person with his shield. A sniper bullet barely misses him. He looks up and throws his shield at a sniper, knocking them down. He runs up the stairs to get his shield, leaving a swathe of groaning students on the floor. Then we cut to Mr. Garcia surrounded by students, shooting wildly. They all shoot at him, but he dodges them all. One person shoots at him. He ducks and it hits someone else. Everyone is on the ground, but he is out of bullets. We see a sniper shoot at him. The bullet travels in slow motion as Mr. Garcia turns around grabs the bullet, loads it into his gun, and shoots the sniper. Then a barrage of arrows barely misses him. He quickly runs behind a pillar and speaks into a walkie-talkie._

Mr. Garcia- Carmen, they've got archers! Take them out.

_We cut to Carmen shooting from a balcony._

Carmen- I'm on it

_Carmen looks up, and we see a metal wire with flags on it. Carmen grabs it with one hand, holds her sniper rifle with the other, and slides. She holds her rifles one-handed and looks through the scope at the archers. She fires several times, taking all the archers out. Then she lets go of the wire and somersaults onto another balcony. She takes aim at someone else, but her shot is blocked by a line of students holding shields. Carmen speaks into her walkie-talkie_

Carmen- Emily, I can't get a good shot off! Take out their shields.

_We cut to Emily, who is flipping through the air, easily dodging bullets._

Emily- Sure thing!

_Emily faces the shield-carriers and throws one of her bombs. It explodes, and the guards are blinded by the paintballs. The screen goes black and we see white slashes across the screen. When the image returns, Emily is standing behind the shield carriers, and they all fall to the ground. Emily is charged, but she throws one of her bombs at her feet and disappears. The group pursuing her looks confused until she lunges from behind them and takes them out with her daggers. Then we cut to Matthew shooting arrows from the back. He turns to see a group running at him. He shoots arrows at them, and at the floor and the wall, which rebound and hit them. He takes one of the arrows out of his quiver and slaps someone in the face with it. Most of Christopher's remaining troops run for the exit, but Oscar steps out of the shadows with his machine guns, mowing them down as they try to run. Soon, Christopher is left only with a handful of guards. Lauren observes from the second floor and smiles. Then we cut back to Will and James. Will's standing in the pool away from James and watching the rocks slowly be pulled into the river._

James- Well, we'll be able to get out soon

Will- Why do you care? You're the one that got us into this mess in the first place.

James- Oh, lighten up, Will.

_Will turns towards James_

Will- Why'd you even trap us here, anyway?

James- Do I need a reason? I'm the one in charge here!

_Silence_

Will- I-I thought we were equals.

_James hesitates_

James- I mean, we are, but-but, I'm not used to seeing someone like that. Everyone at school either hates me or fears me. I mean, AJ and Charlotte, they've always been my friends, but even they seem scared of me sometimes. I just- I have to _control_ everything. That's the only way I feel comfortable.

_There's a pause. A single tear falls from James' cheek_

Will- James… You're not controlling me

_Will walks towards James. He gives him a hug. James smiles._

James- Okay, let's push that last rock into the river

_Will nods. James starts to move, but Will cries out in alarm._

James- What is it?

Will- My foot's caught on something!

James- Hold on!

_Will goes under the water. James dives under and sees him. There's a large rock on top of his foot. The last rock blocking the entrance is washed away, and the current starts. James is almost blown away, but he grabs on to Will. Will is unconscious. James struggles, but lifts the rock off Will's foot. They are both swept into the river, but James wraps his hand around Will's waist and pull them both ashore. James is on top of Will._

James- Will!

_Will starts coughing up water._

James- You're okay! Thank goodness.

Will- Ugh. I don't think I can walk.

James- Let's go home. I've had enough of the rainforest.

Will- Why'd you trap us in there again?

_James smiles mysteriously_

James- I still have to keep some secrets, you know.

_We cut back to Forrester. Lauren is watching Christopher retreat behind his guards. She sighs, pulls out her pistol, and jumps from the second floor. She lands perfectly, and starts running, shooting anyone that crosses her path._

Lauren- Christopher!

Background- Duh-nuhhhh!

_She slides under a guard's legs and shoots him, then looks around. Then she turns around and sees Christopher with several guards pointing guns at her_

Christopher- Give it up. Even you can't dodge from this close. You're guilty of crimes against my regime. Any last words?

_Lauren spits at him_

Christopher- Ready!

_Lauren closes her eyes_

Christopher- Fire!

_The guards fire, but Gabriel jumps down from the second floor, blocking the bullets with his shield._

Christopher- What?

_The rest of Lauren's group comes in and takes out the rest of the guards. Christopher falls to his knees_

Christopher- No! You can't do this!

_Lauren steps towards Christopher._

Lauren- I find _you_ guilty

_Lauren aims her pistol at Christopher's head_

Lauren- Of being in my way

_Lauren fires. Christopher acts out a dramatic death. Lauren sighs and drops her gun._

Lauren- Ugh, finally.

_She smiles and turns towards her group. They run towards her. We don’t hear what they say, but they sound excited._

James (internal monologue)- Friends. The people that stand by you in defeat and celebrate with you in victory.

_We see the door to the hotel room open. James is carrying Will. He sees AJ, Charlotte, and Angela watching a very familiar scene on TV._

TV Character- Zames… you're not controlling me.

AJ- I SHIP IT!

_Angela and Charlotte nod in agreement, bawling. Then they see James and Will, and talk to them. We don't hear what they say, but James nods and smiles and puts Will down._

James (internal monologue)- The people who listen to you, who come to you with their problems. The people that help you through the worst of your problems. Friends are in scarce supply, so when you find one, do your best to hold on to them, and they'll stay at your side. That's how you rule the school.


	9. Rule the School S1E9

**Episode Nine: Return to Forrester**

Synopsis- James and the gang arrive back at Forrester to find it very different than when they left.

_We open with a black car pulling up outside of Forrester. James, Will, AJ, Charlotte, and Angela get out._

Angela- Ugh! It is _good_ to be back.

James- Time to go back to the same old routine.

_Will laughs_

Will- Yes, supreme power just gets _so_ boring

_They all laugh and walk around the corner to see armed guards in front of the door. They look around and see that the floor, walls, and trees are all covered with paint._

Charlotte- Um, what's this?

AJ- Oh, I'm sure they're just welcoming us back.

_AJ walks offscreen_

AJ- Thank you, thank you, now if you could just let us-

_We hear AJ yelp and splatting sounds. When he walks back onscreen, he is covered with paint and is staggering. He mumbles something, and then falls over. James walks up to the guards_

James- How dare you! What is the meaning of this! I demand to be let through.

Guard 1- Not likely. We only take orders from Lauren.

Angela- Who?

_We cut to a shot of James, Will, AJ, Charlotte, and Angela being escorted by guards to the cafeteria. They look around before they see Lauren. She's lying on a chair that has been decorated to look like a throne. She has war paint on her face, and there are random weapons strewn around. Mr. Garcia, Carmen, Emily, Matthew, Oscar, and Gabriel are standing beside her. She looks down at James and the gang._

Lauren- And you are?

_Will gives her an exasperated look. Lauren laughs_

Lauren- I'm kidding, I'm kidding. Welcome back, welcome back. I'm Lauren, Lauren Lee, empress of Forrester. You're free to go.

Charlotte- Um, _empress?_ We're the ones in charge around here!

Lauren- Oh, we're so far past that now. I run things around here now, and everything's fine!

_James looks around. People are covered in paint, crawling around. People are shooting each other left and right. AJ has had enough._

AJ- Yeah, okay, _sure_. Now how about you move along and let us be in charge again.

_Lauren looks at the guards and snaps her finger. The guards drag AJ offscreen and we hear screaming and splatting sounds. AJ walks onscreen and falls over again. James groans._

James- Ugh, not again.

Lauren- Listen up, old-timers! I'm in charge now, and anyone that wants to argue with me will have to answer to us!

_Lauren's team readies their weapons. James angrily steps forward, but Will stops him._

Will- Ms. Lee, I'm impressed with what you've done here. You've created order out of chaos.

_Someone shoots someone else_

Will- Well, mostly order

Emily- Your point being?

Will- My point is, everything's good for now, but it won't last.

_Carmen looks at Lauren._

Carmen- Just say the word, and we can take him out.

Will- I'm not saying that the system we had before was perfect, but it worked.

_Lauren laughs_

Lauren- Ha! You call having a new leader every other week _working_. You politicians can't control this school.

Will- Maybe not, but you can't lead either.

_Lauren's team gasps._

Mr. Garcia- How _dare_ you.

Gabriel- That's _it_! I've had enough of you spoiled brats

Oscar- You…done.

_They rush at Will, but Lauren raises her hand._

Lauren- Stop

Matthew- What? Did you hear what he said?

Lauren- What's your point, Will?

Will- We can't control the school, and you can't lead it. But if we worked together, then we could do both and more.

Lauren- So that's what you want- to use my army to assert yourself over the school again? What do we get in exchange?

Will- Besides inflicting pain on troublemakers?

Lauren- Well, that's a secondary benefit.

Will- Well, if James agrees with me, I think there could be a place for you in the government.

Lauren- What are you thinking?

_We cut to a shot of a badge. It says, "Sheriff of Forrester High School." Lauren picks it up and puts it on._

Lauren-Sheriff, eh? I like it!

_James lets out a breath of relief_

James- Well, if that's all sorted out, then can we return to business as usual.

AJ- Are you kidding me? This deserves some celebration.

Will- Yeah! Let's throw a party!

_Everyone looks at James. He rolls his eyes_

James- Fine. Invite everyone to the school yacht.

Lauren- Woo! Let's do this!

_Lauren sees a random student. She pulls out her pistol and shoots him several times. He falls to the ground, and Lauren climbs on his back._

Lauren- Onwards, my noble steed! We must spread the word

_Reluctantly, the student starts shuffling forward on all fours._

Charlotte- Um, is she always like that?

_Lauren's group looks at each other for a second, then nod. James' group laughs_

AJ- Oo! Let me try.

_AJ runs offscreen_

AJ- Giddyap!

_Splatting and screaming noises. AJ staggers onscreen, then falls down. James slaps his face and Charlotte chuckles_

James- This should be an interesting party.

_We cut to a shot of the school yacht on the lake. It's huge and filled with students. We see Charlotte walking, smiling. She stops at a table holding various snacks. She sees a student pour a cup of punch and drink it. His face almost immediately goes red and he falls to the ground sputtering. Charlotte is confused, but then she looks up to the roof of one of the rooms and sees Lauren snickering. Lauren sees Charlotte and quickly runs away. We follow Lauren for a bit as she slides down the roof and runs down a hallway when Charlotte walks into her way._

Charlotte- What was that?

Lauren- Oh, lighten up. It was just a prank.

Charlotte- Well, there'll be none of that…

_Charlotte smiles_

Charlotte- Without me!

_There is a prank montage. We see a student look at a penny on the floor and try to pick it up, but it won't budge. Charlotte and Lauren are on the roof, and Lauren is aiming her gun. She shoots something at the student's butt._

Charlotte- What did you shoot?

_Lauren smiles mysteriously._

Lauren- You'll see.

_We cut to the student sitting down on a chair and talking to someone. When he tries to get up, he finds that he is stuck to the chair. Charlotte and Lauren laugh hysterically from the roof. Then we cut to Becky standing by the snack stand, looking angry. Suddenly, the folder labelled "Information" comes down from a fishing line. Becky pretends to ignore it, but then leaps for it, trying to grab it. Lauren and Charlotte watch. Charlotte is holding the fishing rod. Then we see Charlotte and Lauren opening up Mr. Garcia's gun and filling it with ketchup. Then we cut to Mr. Garcia picking up his gun and trying to fire it at a target. When it doesn't fire, he turns it around, and gets ketchup splattered all over his face. He turns around and sees Lauren and Charlotte laughing. He runs after them, and they run away. Then we cut to the dance floor. Everyone has formed a circle around Angela, who is dancing. Everyone is cheering._

Random Student- Angela, you're one of the best dancers out here!

_Angela raises an eyebrow and her eyes glint dangerously_

Angela- _One_ of the best dancers?

_The circles parts and Angela sees another circles gathered around Will, who is also dancing. He pauses and smiles at her_

Will- Angela, why don’t you come over and meet the _real_ life of the party. I'd even be willing to show you a thing or two.

_Angela growls and walks over to Will_

Angela- Listen here, Will. You may be in charge of this school, but I own every party I'm at. If you think you're a better partier than me, you've got another thing coming.

_They glare at each other. The crowd is silent._

Will- A contest, then. Let's see who's really better.

Angela- Oh, you're on.

_We cut to James and AJ walking. A student runs up to them_

Student- James, James!

_James turns around_

James- What is it?

Student- It's the cake! It's not coming!

James- _What?_ What happened?

Student- The bakery dropped it into the lake on the way here

James- But we can't have a party without cake! What are we going to-

_AJ pulls James aside_

AJ- Follow me

_They start walking_

James- Where are we going?

AJ- The kitchen

James- But why?

AJ- We're going to make a cake

James- But we don't know how to make a cake!

AJ- _I_ do. I've been taking an online cooking class for four months.

James- Really? Why didn't you tell us?

AJ- Well, um, I was waiting for the one-month anniversary of you and Will taking over to surprise you guys, but I guess I have no choice now.

_AJ looks at James_

AJ- This cool with you?

James- Hey, I may rule the school, but you get to rule the kitchen.

_They arrive at the kitchen. AJ steps in._

James- Good luck

AJ- Who needs luck when you've got skill?

_AJ shuts the door to the kitchen. James walks away. He arrives back on the main yacht and looks towards the dance floor and the stage. He sees a curious sight and is confused. There is a cannon set up on the stage._

Announcer- And now here's Will Cross!

_Will is shot out of the cannon and lands perfectly. He is wearing a tailored suit, and bows._

Announcer- And Angela Farrenburr!

_A silver moon is lowered from the stage with Angela sitting on top of it in a silver dress. She dismounts and gives Will a dirty look as she passes him._

Announcer- Let the competition begin

_We see various shots of James watching Will and Angela compete. They both sing, but the music is the only sound we hear. The screen goes black, and photos come onscreen of both of them posing- Will is leaning against a wall, and Angela is looking over her shoulder. Then we see them both shoving hot dogs in their mouths. Then we see them doing stand-up comedy. James looks perplexed through it all. Finally, we see Angela and Will facing each other._

Announcer- Now for the final competition- a dance-off! Let us… begin!

_The music starts playing, and they both start dancing. They advance towards each other._

Angela- Get ready to lose big-time.

Will- Ha! I don't think so.

_They stop advancing._

Will- I think we both know that this competition is pointless

Angela- I couldn't agree more. We all know I'm going to win.

_They start to aggressively salsa dance with each other. Angela steps on Will's toe. Angela leads them over to the snack stand, where she grabs a handful of cheese puffs and hurls them in Will's face. Will knocks Angela into the punch stand and it spills all over her._

Angela- My dress!

_They both crash into the main snack table. They emerge covered in assorted snacks. Angela looks down at herself and then runs off. Will awkwardly stands there while everyone stares at him._

Will- Um… hi.

_James watches on amused. AJ taps on his shoulder, and he turns around_

James- AJ, is the cake finished?

AJ- Yes! It's right over here.

_AJ leads James around the corner, where there is a big, multi-layered frosted cake._

James- Wow! It's incredible

AJ- I know, right

James- Can I taste it?

AJ- Knock yourself out.

_James takes out a fork and takes a small bite. He immediately spits it out_

James- Ugh! It's awful. No offense, AJ

AJ- What? Let me try.

_AJ takes a bite and spits it out too_

AJ- Someone must have swapped the salt with the sugar! But who?

_Lauren and Charlotte watch from the roof, laughing._

James- Well, it's not your fault.

AJ- It's fine. I'll get other chances.

James- Besides, you missed quite the show

_We cut to Angela picking snacks out of her dress. Will arrives._

Will- I'm, uh, sorry about your dress

Angela- It's fine.

Will- Look, the whole contest was stupid to begin with

_Angela laughs weakly_

Angela- Right? But it's too late now

Will- Actually…

_Will whispers in Angela's ear and she smiles_

Angela- Yes! Let's do it!

_We cut to later, where James is comforting AJ. Suddenly, the curtains open on the stage, and Will and Angela emerge, singing and dancing together. Lauren and Charlotte drop down and join James and AJ as they watch._

James (internal monologue)- Getting to the top is hard. You have to sacrifice a lot. But when you're finally there, with the people you trust at your side, the work is all worth it. That's just how you rule the school.

_The credits roll. We hear audio of Angela and Will singing over the credits._

Both- **Tonight! We're gonna rule this school tonight. We're gonna rule this school tonight. All eyes on us tonight! We're gonna rule this school tonight!**

Will- **Tonight! We're gonna make it count tonight!**

Angela- **Tonight! We're gonna stay up late tonight!**

Will- **Tonight, we're gonna be the… center of attention**

Angela- **Center of attention…**

Both- **Tonight! We're gonna rule this school tonight. We're gonna rule this school tonight. All eyes on us tonight! We're gonna rule this school tonight!**

_Post credits scene. We see Becky walking nervously through a forest. She arrives at a clearing, where she sees Christopher._

Becky- What are you doing here?

Christopher- I was _invited_

Becky- Hmph. So was I. But by who?

Voice from the Shadows- You've tried to rule Forrester on your own. Now I think that we could work together.

Becky- Who's there?

Christopher- Show yourself!

_Sterling Price steps out from behind the tree_

Sterling- We have a lot to discuss.


	10. Rule the School S1E10

**Episode Ten: Student Swap**

Synopsis- James, Will, and the leader of another school exchange students.

_We open with James, Will, and AJ in suits, and Charlotte and Angela in dresses. They are staring at Lauren, who is wearing regular clothes._

Angela- Lauren, you have to dress up today. It's the biannual meeting of all the leaders of the schools.

Lauren- There is no way I am wearing a dress.

_James rubs his forehead_

James- Look, we don't have much time here. Put on a dress, or stay here.

Lauren- Oh, I'm going.

Will- Not like that, you aren't.

_Lauren looks behind her, and her team steps forward, aiming their weapons at Will. Will gulps_

Will- On second thought…

_We cut to all of them in a car. Lauren is wearing regular clothes._

Charlotte- Who's hosting this year? Maple Valley?

James- No.

Charlotte- Barkbury?

James- No.

AJ- Forrester?

James- What? No!

_James sighs_

James- It's…

Angela- No, not…

James- Woodsworth.

_Angela, AJ, and Charlotte groan._

Lauren- What's wrong with Woodsworth?

Will- Woodsworth and Forrester have been rivals for years. They _always_ beat us at sports, and their leader is the most annoying person you'll ever meet…

_They get out of the car and see Sterling Price and Hannah Goldenshire standing by the door._

James- Sterling Price.

_James and Will walk up to them._

Sterling- Will, James, _so_ good to see you. I had heard you were working together. Hannah, say hello.

Hannah (meekly)- Hello.

Sterling- Well, did you two go to the baseball game last night? I have to admit, your team came _so_ close to beating ours.

Will- Actually, we just got back from vacation.

Sterling- Tut, tut, tut. A vacation, you say? And how was the school controlled while you were gone?

_James grits his teeth._

James- Lauren had everything under control.

_Sterling sees Lauren and her gun at her belt._

Sterling- Oh, so Forrester finally has an army? Ah, it reminds me of when Woodsworth started our army. Of course, that was three years ago, but it's nice to see that you finally caught up.

_James grits his teeth harder._

Sterling- Well, shall we go in? Hannah, would you fetch us some tea.

Hannah- Yes, of course.

_Hannah scurries away. Lauren drops back to talk to AJ, Charlotte, and Angela._

Lauren- What's with her?

Angela- That's Hannah Goldenshire. She's Sterling's second-in-command, but she's petrified of him.

Sterling- I must say, Forrester's been in quite the state of chaos recently. One person on top, then they make a mistake, and someone else comes, then they make a mistake, and so on and so forth.

Will- Yes, but we've learned from our mistakes.

Sterling- Well, you must be very wise then.

_Sterling laughs. Will and James clamp their mouths shut. Sterling walks by two leaders playing chess and moves a piece for him._

Sterling- Checkmate.

_Sterling turns back to James and Will_

Sterling- Sorry about that. Now, shall we head outside? You know, Woodsworth is the _only_ school in the area with a golf course.

_We cut to Sterling, James, and Will playing golf. James putts and it just misses the hole._

Sterling- Oh! You _just_ missed it.

_Sterling putts and hits it in. James sighs. Then we cut to Lauren, AJ, Charlotte, and Angela talking to Hannah._

AJ- Hello.

_Hannah quickly turns around._

Hannah- What? Oh, um, hello.

Charlotte- So how are things going at Woodsworth?

Hannah- Oh, um, you know, great! Sterling's such, um, a good leader.

Lauren- Any big plans?

Hannah- Um, well, I'm not allowed to, um, tell you.

_Hannah glances nervously at Sterling. Then we cut back to Sterling, James, and Will._

Will- Well, Sterling, thank you for the _hospitality_ , but we should probably get back to Forrester. Seeyouinsixmonthsbye!

_James and Will walk away quickly, joined by the others._

Sterling- Wait!

_James groans and turns around._

Sterling- Look, James, Will, I know that Forrester and Woodsworth have been rivals for a while. I know you probably don't like me too much. But I want to put all that behind us.

James- Um, okay.

Sterling- So I had an idea. Let's swap students! I'll go to Forrester for a while, and some of you can come to Woodsworth. It'll help build relationships. What do you say?

James- Give us a minute.

_The Forrester kids huddle up._

Lauren- It's clearly a trick!

Charlotte- Obviously! They're going to try and take over Forrester.

James- You're right… but we're going to do it anyway.

Angela- What?

James- Lauren, AJ, and Charlotte, you're going to go to Woodsworth. Hannah will be in charge, and you're going to take over that school. Will, Angela, and I will stay behind and prevent Sterling from taking over. He has no allies at Forrester, and he's out of his environment. We'll rule both schools.

_There is a moment of silence._

AJ- I'm in.

Lauren- Let's do it.

_Cut to later. Sterling is looking around James and Will's office._

Sterling- Oh, James, Will, it's so… _you_. It just makes me appreciate my office back at Woodsworth that much more.

Will- Well, James and I have to get to work, so you're welcome to look around the school.

Sterling- _Of course_. Bu-bye!

_Sterling walks out of the office and through a hallway. He sees a girl walking towards the office._

Sterling- What are you doing?

Girl- Oh, I was just going to see James and Will about getting a new eighth grade math teacher.

Sterling- Oh, well, I'm _so_ sorry to disappoint you, but James and Will are _much_ too busy to be concerned with your problems, but I'd be happy to help.

Girl- Oh, thank you! But are you sure that you can do it?

_While she was talking, Sterling has pulled out a computer. He reaches for a printer and pulls out several pieces of paper._

Sterling- Okay, here's the résumé of every available math teacher in the area. This one can teach geometry and trigonometry, but that might be a little advanced for the eighth grade. Ah, here! This one teaches algebra and quadratics! The perfect teacher!

_He hands the girl the paper. She looks it over._

Girl- Wow! It's perfect! Thank you so much! What's your name? 

Sterling- Sterling. Sterling Price.

Girl- Well, thanks for helping, Sterling! I won't forget it.

_Girl runs away._

Sterling- Oh, I hope you won't.

_Angela enters and glances at Sterling suspiciously._

Angela- What were you just doing?

_Sterling gives the fakest smile of all time._

Sterling- Oh, I was just helping out around the school. Since I'm here, I thought I might as well try to fix things around here.

Angela- Well, I've got my eye on you. And we don't need _fixing_!

_Angela storms off and Sterling smiles. Then we cut to AJ, Lauren, and Angela entering Woodsworth. Lauren snorts._

Lauren- Ugh. What a dump.

_A girl walks up to them._

Woodsworth Girl- Hi, Forrester kids! I'm Amanda, and I'll be your guide today.

_Lauren pulls out a paintball gun and shoots Amanda._

AJ- Um, Lauren, was that really necessary?

_Lauren and Charlotte look at AJ._

Charlotte- _Never_ ask that again.

_AJ shrugs. They walk into the cafeteria._

Lauren- Well, let's get to work.

_Lauren pulls out her gun and advances towards the crowd, but AJ and Charlotte hold her back._

Charlotte- No, Lauren. Normally I support any violence, but this isn't the way to go. Look.

_Charlotte points and we see Hannah entering, flanked by huge bodyguards._

Lauren- What? I could take them!

_We see the bodyguards go over to a boy talking to a group of other boys. They pull him to the side, and beat him up with expert karate moves._

AJ- Are you sure?

Lauren- Well, um, uh…

AJ (dryly)- Eloquent.

_Lauren rushes at AJ, but Charlotte holds her back._

Charlotte- Stop it, you two! I have an idea.

_Cut to them crawling through the vents. They look through a peephole and see Hannah in her office. A student is sitting at her desk._

Hannah- So, I hear you think you can take over now that Sterling's gone.

Boy- Sterling's the real power. You're useless! I should be in charge.

_Hannah pulls out a binder and flips to a page._

Hannah- So, you're fine if I tell everyone that you have a giant crush on Ms. Terry?

_Boy turns white_

Boy- Um, what I mean to say is, um.

Hannah- Have a good day.

_Boy gets up and walks out, shaking._

Charlotte- That's it! That binder is where she gets all of her information!

AJ- If we get that binder, then she'll have no power.

_Lauren sulks._

Lauren- Are you sure we can't just shoot her?

_We cut to Sterling alone in a room. Becky and Christopher step inside._

Becky- When are we going to do something?

_Christopher growls_

Christopher- Hey, Brit Boy, you said that I would get to take down Lauren, but she's not here anymore.

Sterling- Relax, relax. Once we take over, I'll get Lauren for you.

Becky- And when are we going to take over?

Sterling- Soon, my friend. _Very_ soon.

_End episode._


	11. Rule the School S1E11

**Episode Eleven: Whispers in the Wind**

Synopsis- Sterling helps out around Forrester. Meanwhile, AJ, Lauren, and Charlotte find an unexpected ally at Woodsworth.

_We start the episode with a random Woodworth student walking through the hallways. He turns a corner when Lauren jumps on him and elbows him in the head. He falls unconscious, and the screen goes black. When it comes back, the student is tied to a chair. Lauren, AJ, and Charlotte are standing in front of him._

Student- Where am I? Who are you?

AJ- We're just some new students who need some help getting the lay of the land.

Charlotte- We were hoping you could help us.

Lauren- Who at this school… knows things?

Student- Well, um, Hannah knows everyone's secrets.

_Lauren sighs, and shoots the student several times._

Lauren- That was an annoying statement. Annoy me again and see what happens.

AJ- Who else knows things? Someone who's not necessarily on Hannah's side.

Student- Um, well, there is one person.

AJ- Fetch them for us.

Student- Okay, sure, just, um, please don't shoot me.

Charlotte- Thanks for your help. I hope we can trust that you won't tell Hannah about this.

Student- No, I won't! Now please let me go.

_Lauren unties him and he runs away. Lauren shoots him as he runs away, and he yelps and runs faster._

Lauren- Godspeed, young man. Godspeed.

_Charlotte pulls out a phone and dials. James' face pops up on the screen._

James- Hey, Charlotte. What's up?

Charlotte- Well, we might have found someone that can help us.

James- Ugh, yeah, yeah, good.

AJ- Hey, James, what's wrong?

James- Nothing to do with you. I've got to go. Good luck.

Charlotte- But-

_James hangs up. Then we cut to James. Sterling is behind him._

Sterling- Oh, wow, this file cabinet is so _disorganized._ You know, at _Woodsworth_ , we would never stand for something like that. But each to their own, I suppose.

_Will and Angela enter._

Angela- Ugh! This is a nightmare!

Will- The students want new vending machines, the assembly decorators decided not to show up, and Mr. Garcia needs help making a speech to his class!

_James slams his head on his desk._

James- Ugh! Do we have to do everything ourselves?

_Sterling's eyes narrow_

Sterling- Well, not necessarily.

Angela- What do you mean?

Sterling- I'd be happy to help out around Forrester, if you'd let me.

_James stares at Sterling, suspicious._

James- Fine, go.

Sterling- Superb! Bu-buyee!

_Sterling leaves._

Will- James, what are you doing! He's clearly up to something!

James- I know, I know, but I can't deal with this anymore! We'll keep an eye on him and make sure things don't get out of hand.

Will- We can't underestimate him! I'm going to follow him and find out what his game is.

James- Fine, fine, go.

_Will storms out, Angela leaves, and James lays his head on his desk. He falls asleep quickly. Then we cut to Charlotte, AJ, and Lauren sitting down, waiting in a room. The student they were interrogating runs in._

Student- He's here.

Lauren- Okay…

_The student stands there awkwardly. Lauren slowly raises her gun._

Student- Okay, okay, okay. I'm going, I'm going.

_Student leaves. Then, a mammoth of a boy enters. He's huge._

Charlotte- We heard you know things. We need your help.

_The boy is quiet for a minute. Lauren gets frustrated._

Lauren- Hey, dingbat! Are you going to help or not?

_The boy steps aside to reveal a smaller, strange looking boy. He wears an eye patch, and his visible eye is like a kaleidoscope, it has every color. He wears a cape, and holds a cane in his hand. He is… the Whisperer!_

Whisperer- You'll have to excuse Edward. He doesn't talk much, but he's good protection. I'm the one you're looking for.

AJ- And you are?

Whisperer- I am… the Whisperer.

Charlotte- The Whisperer? What kind of name is that? What's your real name?

Whisperer- Real names have power… Lauren Lee… AJ Mitchell… Charlotte March.

AJ- How'd you know that? Do you have a mole at Forrester?

Whisperer- Better… I read the student directory.

AJ- Whoa!

Lauren- Whatever, _Whisperer_. Can you help us or not?

Whisperer- Oh, I believe I can.

Charlotte- Ok, so we need-

Whisperer- Hannah's binder full of all the school's secrets, I know, I know.

Charlotte- How did you know that?

Whisperer- My little friend overheard you talking in the vents.

AJ- Who?

_Suddenly, a snake slithers up AJ's leg and onto his arm. AJ yelps and jumps back. The Whisperer picks up the snake and nuzzles it affectionately._

Whisperer- This is Jade. She's my little venomous vixen.

Charlotte- Enough with the games! If you're not going to help, then get out!

Whisperer- Oh, feisty little kitty, hissing and scratching. But in the end, you still can't hunt for yourself.

_Lauren tries to shoot the Whisperer, but Jade swallows the bullet out of the air._

Whisperer- Tut, tut, tut. Patience, Ms. Lee. You warriors are so uncivilized. Knowledge is the real power.

Lauren- Well, if you're so knowledgeable, then how come you're not ruling Woodworth?

AJ- Oh snap!

Whisperer- Well, I'm not what you would call a people person. Now put the gun down and we can talk about this reasonably.

_Lauren keeps her gun raised. The Whisperer smiles, and quickly pulls a gun out of the top of his cane and aims it at Lauren. Edward moves menacingly towards Charlotte and AJ. Everything is tense._

Charlotte- Enough of this! Whisperer, Lauren, put your weapons down.

_Tentatively, they do. The Whisperer smirks._

Charlotte- Whisperer, we need your help. You know this school. Help us take down Hannah, and we'll reward you.

Whisperer- Oh, I have a very specific reward in mind.

AJ- What do you want?

Whisperer- I want this school.

Lauren- What! I thought you just said that you weren't a people person.

_The Whisperer laughs._

Whisperer- I know! I'm just such a quirky and eccentric character, aren't I? But in all actuality, I wouldn't technically be ruling Woodsworth. No, no, that job would fall to my little friend.

_The Whisperer snaps his fingers and a short sixth grader enters._

Whisperer- This is Tommy. He's my… friend. Tommy, say hi to the new Forrester students.

Tommy- Hi, I'm Tommy!

Whisperer- Yes, yes, yes, they get it. Don't you have small child things do to, or do you just wait for me to summon you all day?

Tommy- Well, um-

Whisperer- Away with you!

_Tommy leaves._

Whisperer- So you see, I'll be Tommy's… advisor. That way I'll make all the decisions, but I won't have to talk to too many of those… what do you call them… ah, yes, people!

Lauren- Clever. If I were you, I wouldn't want to show that ugly mug in public either.

_The Whisperer applauds._

Whisperer- See, you're not just a brute! I'll make a politician out of you yet.

Charlotte- Fine, Whisperer, you can have Woodsworth. Now tell us how to get that binder.

Whisperer- With pleasure. But first, let's go somewhere more private. Somewhere only I know how to get to.

_AJ throws up his hands._

AJ- Oh my goodness! You have a secret lair and everything! You are the most obvious supervillain I've ever met! Look at how you're dressed!

Whisperer- Hey, don't be hating on my style! You _wish_ you looked this good.

_AJ sighs._

AJ- True.

_We cut to Will sneaking around a corner to get a view of the stage. Sterling is addressing the student body._

Sterling- And I know that we can make Forrester as good as Woodsworth, no matter how _impossible_ it may seem. With my help, this school will finally get on track. Oh, and James and Will will probably do some stuff too.

_The students cheer and Will's eyes narrow. He walks into the crowd of students and makes his way to the front. He keeps watching Sterling._

Sterling- All I ask of you, the students, is that you support me in my efforts to make this school great. Do I have your support?

_The students are reluctant to cheer. A student calls out._

Student- What about James and Will?

_Sterling's eyes narrow, but then he forces a smile._

Sterling- Of course, how rude of me! Of course you should put James and Will first. I mean, I'd have to do something _amazing_ to assume otherwise.

_Sterling turns his head and gives a barely visible nod. Will sees it and follows his gaze. Becky and Christopher are there, moving towards the stage. Will whispers under his breath._

Will- I _knew_ it.

_Will follows them backstage, but they are gone when he arrives._

Will- Come out! I know you're working with Sterling! I knew he was up to something!

_Christopher drops down and gets Will in a headlock. Becky walks up and sneers at Will._

Becky- Well, aren't you clever? Here's your prize.

_Christopher elbows Will in the stomach._

Christopher- Did you really think we'd work with Union Jack out there? As if!

Becky- Not that that's any of your business.

_We cut to Sterling._

Sterling- And through this thirteen-step program, Forrester will-

_Becky and Christopher enter. Christopher is dragging Will behind him._

Christopher- Listen up, morons.

Becky- Give us the school, and we'll set Will free.

Christopher- Only someone truly _dedicated_ to this school and _worthy of your support_ can stop us!

Sterling (exaggerated voice)- Fear not, Forrester students! I, Sterling Price, will save you!

_Sterling runs at Christopher and fake-tackles him to the ground._

Christopher- Ouch! I have been defeated!

Becky- We cannot hope to stand against Sterling! Let's go!

_Becky and Christopher run away. Sterling stands up. The crowd is silent for a moment, and then starts cheering. Will looks at Sterling, confused. Then we cut to Charlotte, AJ, Lauren, Edward, and the Whisperer walking in Woodsworth's auditorium. They come up to a small metal plate._

AJ- What's this?

Whisperer- Hydraulic elevator. Used to raise and lower things dramatically.

Charlotte- Whatever, let's just go.

_They step on the elevator. Edward tries to step on, but he's too big._

Whisperer- Sorry, my friend. Kindly guard the elevator while we make our trip.

_The Whisperer uses his cane to press a button on the floor, and the elevator descends. Dramatic music booms from the speakers in the elevator. They come to the bottom, and there is a hole in the wall._

Whisperer- After you.

_They all step through the hole into a room. There is a table, several chairs, folders all around, and numerous computers._

Whisperer- Ah, now where is it. Jade, if you would.

_Jade slithers off the Whisperer's arm, and goes through the mass of binders. She wraps around one and brings it back to the Whisperer. He hands it to Lauren. She reads it out loud._

Lauren- Plan Delta-T-Gamma. Scenario- Forrester kids coming to take over, one of which is a good fighter. How many of these do you have?

Whisperer- As many as I can think of.

_He takes it back._

Whisperer- Now, step one.

_He smiles._

Whisperer- Lauren, you need to join Hannah's personal guard.

Lauren- What? Why?

_The Whisperer looks at the others to answer._

Charlotte- They're with her all the time. They're the only ones close enough to her to get her binder.

Whisperer- Ding-ding-ding! We have a winner! Yes, that's correct.

AJ- But how does Lauren get into Hannah's guard?

Whisperer- I believe she has tryouts today at 2.

Lauren- Well, let's go.

_They walk away._

Charlotte- If you don't mind me asking, what happened to your eye?

_The Whisperer laughs._

Whisperer- Nothing. I still have both eyes. I just think the eye patch adds a little… pizzazz, don't you think?

_Charlotte chuckles._

Charlotte- True.

_They all laugh as the hydraulic elevator rises. Then we cut to Sterling standing in front of a crowd. Will walks up to him._

Will- It appears I owe you an apology, Sterling.

_Sterling pretends to look shocked._

Sterling- Whatever for, Will?

Will- At your speech today, I thought you were working with Becky and Christopher. I was wrong. Thank you for saving me.

Sterling- Oh, Will, I understand. And you don't need to thank me for saving you. It's what anyone would do.

Will- Well, I'm looking forward to working with you in the future. Bye!

Sterling- Bye! Don’t worry about what happened, it was just a simple mistake.

_Will leaves._

Sterling- Don't make it again.

_We cut to James and Angela in the office. Will enters._

James- Oh, hey, Will. Did you find anything out about Sterling?

Will- Actually, yeah! It seems like he really does just want to help the school.

_Angela snorts._

Angela- As if!

Will- But it's true! He saved me from Becky and Christopher. James… I think we should call off the plan to take over Woodsworth.

James- What? No!

Will- But I really think Sterling's on our side.

James- Maybe he is. Or maybe he's just playing us. If we take over Woodsworth and he still supports us, then we'll put him back in change. Plus, he's just kind of annoying.

Will- … All right.

James- I knew you'd get it.

_James leaves._

Angela- Will, are you sure you want to betray Sterling?

Will- Hey.

_Pause._

Will- That's just how you rule the school.

_Will leaves. Then we cut to Hannah looking at Lauren. Charlotte is off to the side._

Hannah- Why would you want to be a part of my guard?

_Lauren looks to Charlotte for help, but Charlotte just winks._

Lauren- Well, if I'm here at Woodsworth, I might as well make myself useful.

Hannah- And?

Lauren- And I really need some violence in my life.

_Hannah smiles._

Hannah- Alright. You can be in the guard.

_Several big guards step into the room._

Hannah- If you can beat them.

_Lauren smiles._

Lauren- Alright.

_Lauren runs at the guards. One swipes at her, but she ducks and elbows him in the stomach. Another runs at her, but she judo-flips him into another guard. She slides behind the final guard and pins his arms behind his back, slamming him into a wall. She stands up. Hannah claps._

Hannah- Well done, Lauren. There's just one more thing do to.

_She points at Charlotte, who is texting._

Hannah- Shoot your friend.

_Lauren pulls out her gun and aims it at Charlotte. She hesitates._

Hannah- Come on! It won't permanently damage her! Plus, I have a thing at 3.

_Lauren pulls her gun away._

Lauren- Can I shoot AJ instead?

_Hannah shrugs._

Hannah- I don't see why not.

_We cut to AJ sitting at a table with the Whisperer. Guards comes and grab AJ._

AJ- What? What are you doing? Whisperer, help!

_But the Whisperer has disappeared. The guards drag AJ away, and the Whisperer crawls out from under the table. Then we cut to the guards throwing AJ in front of Lauren. She immediately shoots him._

Hannah- Welcome to the guard.

_Lauren and Charlotte smile. AJ gets up and walks out with them._

AJ- That wasn't in the plan, Lauren!

_They all laugh. The Whisperer joins them, and they walk_ _away._

_End episode._


	12. Rule the School S1E12

**Episode Twelve: Old Enemies**

  


Synopsis- James, Will, and Angela face resurfacing foes, and AJ, Charlotte, and Lauren receive a gift.

  


_We open the episode with Lauren walking as part of Hannah's personal guard. Hannah is talking, but no one is listening._

  


Hannah- So then I told her, "I didn't copy your style, you copied _my_ style."

  


Guard- Of course, Hannah.

  


Hannah- I know, right? So then I-

  


_Lauren sighs. Then she hears a hiss. She looks down and sees Jade at her feet. She nods at Jade, and the snake slithers off._

  


Lauren- Hey, boss.

  


Hannah- Yes?

  


Lauren- I think I saw some troublemakers heading off that way.

  


Hannah- Alright, then, go get them.

  


_Lauren nods and runs off. Hannah's eyes narrow. Then we cut to Lauren walking up to a table. AJ, Charlotte, and the Whisperer are seated there._

  


Lauren- What is it?

  


AJ- It's time to begin the next phase of our plan.

  


Lauren- Next phase? All I have to do is grab the binder and then we're done… right?

  


Charlotte- Sadly, no.

  


Whisperer- Hannah has two other copies of the binder that I know of. And since I know everything, we can be sure that there's only two.

  


Charlotte- One of the copies is on Hannah's computer. We need to destroy it.

  


Hannah- _Excuse me!_

  


_They turn to see Hannah standing there. Everyone is shocked except for the Whisperer._

  


Hannah- Lauren! I trusted you! I-

  


_Hannah crumples to the ground. Jades slithers off her heel back to the Whisperer. There are two puncture marks in Hannah's leg._

  


AJ- What was that?

  


Whisperer- Just a little dose. She'll be fine. However, she'll die if Jade has to administer a second dose, and I do have a slight inclination against murder.

  


_The Whisperer looks at Hannah's unconscious form._

  


Whisperer- Slight…

  


Lauren- We need to do a better job of hiding.

  


_We cut to them meeting in secret once again. They have just gathered._

  


Lauren- What's up?

  


Charlotte- What's the game plan, big W?

  


Whisperer- Let the records show I did not agree to that nickname.

  


Hannah-This is just so much fun, isn't it?

  


_They recoil as they see Hannah. AJ slaps his forehead._

  


AJ- Ugh! Not again!

  


_We cut to Will spinning around in his chair in the office. Angela runs in._

  


Angela- Will!

  


_Will reluctantly stops spinning._

  


Will- Yes, Angela?

  


Angela- It's Becky and Christopher! They're back! They're holding the vending machines hostage!

  


_Will groans._

  


Will- Ugh, fine. Where's James?

  


_We cut to James dancing and singing to karaoke in a closet. Will and Angela enter. James freezes. They stare at each other for a second. We cut to Becky and Christopher standing in front of the vending machines._

  


Christopher- We control the snacks! We control the school!

  


_Becky cackles maniacally. James, Will, and Angela enter._

  


Angela- Stand down!

  


Becky- You think you can stop us?

  


James- Yes.

  


Will- Absolutely.

  


Angela- You literally have no chance.

  


_Becky and Christopher scowl. Then they look at each other._

  


Becky- Oh, yeah! Well, um, why don't you describe your distaste for us in very specific words?

  


James- Gladly!

  


_He begins to insult Becky and Christopher. The camera pans and we see Sterling with a video camera recording the exchange. Then we cut to a board room. Hannah and other students are sitting there. AJ walks in._

  


Hannah- Please, sit down.

  


_AJ does so._

  


Hannah- Have you been trying to take over Woodsworth?

  


AJ- Well, it depends on your definition of the word. I like to think I've taken over the heart of every girl here.

  


_Hannah rolls her eyes._

  


Hannah- Have you been colluding to remove me from power?

  


_AJ sweats nervously._

  


AJ- You know, that's a weird word, _colluding_. Rhymes with eluding, confusing.

  


Hannah- Stop dodging the question.

  


AJ- Well, um, if I am forced to summarize, then, um, no, I don't think so.

  


Hannah- Truly, you are a master wordsmith. I need you to think hard. Some people here can be very manipulative. Has anyone asked you to do something… odd?

  


_AJ thinks hard, and his eyes light up._

  


AJ- There is one thing that I just remembered.

  


_Hannah leans forward eagerly._

  


Hannah- Yes?

  


AJ- Hannah spelled backwards is Hannah! Isn't that cool.

  


_Hannah groans._

  


Hannah- Ugh, get out and send in the next one.

  


_AJ walks out. Charlotte, Lauren, and the Whisperer are sitting outside._

  


Whisperer- Good work, AJ. I loved the part where you pretended that any girl could possibly like you.

  


_AJ smiles nervously and gives a fake laugh._

  


AJ- Yeah… Ha, ha, ha.

  


_We cut to Charlotte entering the room._

  


Hannah- Please sit down.

  


Charlotte- I think I'll remain standing.

  


Hannah- Fine, fine, suit yourself.

  


Charlotte- What do you want?

  


Hannah- Why, I just want to keep this school at peace.

  


Charlotte- Is that why there's three heavily armed guards behind you.

  


_Hannah smiles._

  


Hannah- Touché. It appears we're at a stalemate.

  


Charlotte- I'll tell you what I know… for a reward.

  


Hannah- What do you want? Power? A place in the government?

  


Charlotte- No, I just want 20 bucks.

  


_Hannah pulls 20 bucks out her wallet and hands it to Charlotte._

  


Hannah- Now tell me what you know!

  


_Charlotte smiles._

  


Charlotte- Hannah spelled backwards is Hannah.

  


_We cut to Charlotte being chased by guards outside of the room. She is laughing hysterically. Then we cut to Lauren entering the room. Hannah gestures to a stiff wooden chair. Lauren shakes her head. Then she walks over to a student in a more comfy chair. She hurls the student out of the chair and shoots him several times. Then she sits._

  


Hannah- Lauren, you've got spunk. I appreciate that.

  


Lauren- Well, thank you. I'd say the same to you, but I have a policy against lying.

  


_Hannah grits her teeth._

  


Hannah- Since you're in my guard, I'll let that slide, but you've been warned.

  


Lauren- Okay, okay.

  


Hannah- Now, I trust that you will answer _honestly_. I wouldn’t want to be forced to… _replace_ you.

  


_Lauren raises an eyebrow._

  


Lauren- I assure you, my talent is irreplaceable.

  


Hannah- We'll see. I know that those Forrester kids are up to something, and I think _you_ know something about it.

  


Lauren- Oh, really? How'd you get that impression.

  


Hannah- I caught you talking to them and The Whisperer. You're going around behind my back!

  


Lauren- We were never talking to each other.

  


Hannah- Yes, you were! I saw you!

  


Lauren- No, you didn't.

  


Hannah- Ha! Exactly! You just admitted you were!

  


Lauren- And you just admitted you never saw it, so how can you be sure?

  


Hannah- I didn't say that! Did I?

  


Student 1- That is what it sounded like.

  


Student 2- You did agree with her statement.

  


_Hannah sputters. We cut to Lauren walking out. The Whisperer stands up and enters. Hannah seems nervous around him. He sits down._

  


Hannah- I assume you know why you're here.

  


Whisperer- Of course! I've been interrogated so many times, this place is practically like a home to me.

  


Hannah- You've always… puzzled me, Whisperer. What are you trying to do?

  


Whisperer- Why, I'm trying to bring you down and put myself in power, as I've been doing for years and years.

  


_Hannah perks up and points an accusing finger at The Whisperer._

  


Hannah- Ha! Did you hear that! I was right!

  


_She turns around, but all the other students are asleep._

  


Hannah- Whatever! Guards, seize him.

  


_The Whisperer slaps one guard in the face with his cane. Jade slithers up the other's leg and stares at him. He is paralyzed with fear. The Whisperer advances on Hannah threateningly._

  


Whisperer- Why, I was hoping that we could have a civilized conversation. If you would have let me finish, you would have heard that those Forrester kids have nothing to do with it. I could never work with those barbarians. Besides, I have some information for you.

  


Hannah- Yes? What is it?

  


_The Whisperer smiles_

  


Whisperer- Hannah spelled backwards is Hannah.

  


_We cut to the Whisperer exiting the room. He rejoins AJ, Charlotte, and Lauren._

  


Whisperer- Well done, everyone. We'll go forward with the plan tomorrow.

  


_Lauren narrows her eyes._

  


Lauren- Why are you doing this? Surely you could just find a way to take over yourselves.

  


Whisperer- I see you're still a bit suspicious. Well, I've heard that the best way to a woman's heart is with a gift.

  


Lauren- Ew.

  


Whisperer- I'll have it for you tomorrow. Trust me, you'll love it!

  


_The Whisperer walks away._

  


AJ- With a gift, huh?

  


Charlotte- Shut up, AJ.

  


_We cut to Sterling entering a room with Becky and Christopher in it._

  


Becky- Did you get enough footage?

  


Sterling- Yes, I think so. Now all we have to do is wait for the right moment to strike.

  


Christopher- Ugh, _more_ waiting! When is this storyline going to get interesting.

  


Sterling- Oh, I'd say… sometime next episode.

  


_End episode._


	13. Rule the School S1E13

**Episode Thirteen: Hostile Takeover**

Synopsis: A gift is given, and plans are enacted.

_We open the episode with Charlotte, AJ, and Lauren sitting at a lunch table. Suddenly, there is a sound above them. They look up and see a ventilation shaft open. The Whisperer falls through, landing on the table on his feet._

Charlotte- Was that really necessary?

_The Whisperer shrugs._

Whisperer- What can I say, I’ve always had a flair for the dramatic. Besides, there are more important matters to attend to.

_From behind his back, the Whisperer pulls out a binder._

Charlotte- Is that…

Whisperer- Hannah’s binder? Yes. Well, the other copy of it. I did some digging, and there was a third copy I didn’t know about.

AJ- Where was she keeping it?

Whisperer- In her house.

Lauren- Then how’d you get your hands on it?

Whisperer- Everyone loves sausages, but no one likes to know how they’re made.

_Lauren grimaces._

Lauren- You’re disgusting.

Whisperer- Sure, what else is new? But regardless, now we have to get the other two copies.

Lauren, are you prepared?

_Lauren nods._

Whisperer- Good. Charlotte, AJ, come with me. We need to plan how we’re going to get that laptop.

_AJ nods and starts to walk off. The Whisperer stops Charlotte._

Whisperer- Charlotte, I need to ask you something.

Charlotte- Hm?

Whisperer- Do you trust me?

Charlotte- Of course not.

Whisperer- I wouldn’t expect anything less. But there will come a time when you’ll have to. I want your assurance that when it counts most, you’ll put your faith in me.

_Charlotte sighs._

Charlotte- Fine. I promise.

_We see that behind Charlotte’s back, she is crossing her fingers._

Whisperer- Perfect. Now let’s go make sure AJ’s not lost.

AJ (off-screen and distant)- Hello? Guys? I think I’m in a closet.

_They both smile and walk off. Then we cut to James and Will sitting in their office._

James- Everything is going according to plan at Woodsworth. Soon we’ll see how well Sterling holds up when we take over his home turf.

_Will smiles._

Will- He never even expected we would outsmart him.

_They laugh and take sips of tea._

James- Soon, we’ll rule both schools! Nothing will stop us!

_Angela pokes her head in._

Angela- Oh, will whatever’s going to happen just happen already!

Will- What?

Angela- Clearly something bad is about to happen. The heroes never just win.

_James smirks._

James- Looks like we might just break that pattern.

_Suddenly, Sterling’s voice rings over the intercom._

Sterling (intercom)- Attention all Forrester students! Please report to the gymnasium for a very special assembly.

Angela- See?

_Will waves his hand_

Will- It doesn’t matter, they’ll never obey-

_His voice is drowned out by every student rushing the gym. James facepalms_

James- Idiots…

_We cut to them arriving at the gym._

Angela- What is Sterling planning?

Will- Who knows, maybe it’s something good.

James- Put a sock in it, Will. He’s British, they’re never the good guys.

_Will sighs._

Will- True, but… wait, what’s that?

_Will points, and they see Becky and Christopher sneaking into a back door._

James- Becky and Christopher! They must be planning to sabotage the assembly again!

Angela- Let’s get them!

_They run after Becky and Christopher. From inside, Sterling watches them from the stage and smiles. Then we cut to Hannah at a spa with a face mask on, her eyes covered by cucumbers. Her binder is left on a table, and Lauren is eyeing it._

Hannah- So it’s just so freeing to have this school all to myself. I mean, Sterling is a good leader, but he can be so _controlling_! You know what I mean?

Lauren- Uh-huh.

_Lauren’s pocket buzzes and she pulls out her phone. There is a text from “W” saying “It’s time.”_

Lauren- Hannah, as your personal guard, it’s my duty to inform you that you are not taking full advantage of this spa.

Hannah- What do you mean?

_Lauren smiles and turns a dial on Hannah’s chair to activate high-level massage mode._

Hannah- Aaaaaaaaah… Th-th-th-that’s the stuff.

Lauren- Anything to help, Hannah.

_Lauren carefully lifts up the binder, but it starts blaring with an alarm._

Hannah- Did you really think I would trust you? I installed my binder with fingerprint-ID the moment you joined my guard. Speaking of which… GUAAAAARDS!

_Hannah tries to stand up, but Lauren turns the dial up even more to full-body mode and a second half of the chair swings shut over Hannah._

Hannah (muffled)- Nooooo! Full body! It’s so soothing!

_Lauren runs out of the room quickly. Hannah’s guards rush into the room._

Hannah (muffled)- Get her! Then get me out of here… oooooooh…

_The guards run after Lauren. She shoots some over her shoulder, and appears to lose the others. She bumps into a girl and rounds a corner to be confronted by more guards. She looks at the girl, who is picking up supplies._

Lauren- Get out of here. Things are about to get messy.

_The girl nods and rushes away. The guards jump at Lauren and she bounces off the wall to kick one of them, sweeps the legs from under another, slaps one in the face with her gun, and shoots the other several times. More guards keep coming, however, and they eventually overpower her. They search her backpack and find the binder, and one guard tries to look in it, but Hannah appears and snatches it away._

Hannah- Did you really think you could beat the full might of Woodsworth. And now I can have your Forrester pals taken down too. They’re guilty by association! Ahahahahaha! And that Whisperer has crossed me for the last time!

_Hannah opens the binder and her eyes widen. She turns it toward Lauren and we see that it is blank._

Hannah- What did you do?

Lauren- Checkmate, Big H.

_We cut to the girl that Lauren bumped into earlier holding the binder. She removes a wig to reveal Charlotte. She turns a corner and meets up with AJ, who hands her the other binder._

AJ- Nice plan, Charlotte. You really fooled them.

Charlotte- Well, you did well too. At what, I can’t really think of, but I’m sure you did something.

_They stop and look around a corner to see a door guarded by five guards._

Charlotte- Guards? Whisperer guaranteed there wouldn’t be any. How are we going to get past them?

_AJ steps forth dramatically._

AJ- My time has come.

_He walks dramatically towards the guards, but slips and falls halfway through. He stands up and continues the walk._

Guard 1- What do you want?

_AJ quickly slaps him._

AJ- Something about your mom!

_He runs off._

Guard 1- What are we waiting for? Get him!

Guard 2- But our orders were to-

Guard 1- How would you feel if he said something about _your_ mom?

Guard 2- Get him!

_The guards rush after AJ. Charlotte raises her fist in the air._

Charlotte- Godspeed, AJ. Godspeed.

_She runs into the office. Then we cut to James, Will, and Angela sneaking in the backstage of the gym._

Angela- Where’d they go? They were here just a-

Will- Ssssh! Look!

_He points ahead where we see Becky putting mysterious liquid into cups on a table labeled “Assembly Drinks”_

James- She’s poisoning the drinks for the assembly.

_The camera zooms in and we see that Becky is wearing strange spheres around her body._

Angela- What are those balls?

James- I don’t know. What do you think, Will?

_He turns to see Christopher instead of Will, who is lying unconscious behind Christopher._

Christopher- I’m not sure either.

_We see that Christopher is wearing the same spheres. Becky turns towards them. James panics and the last thing we see is Christopher’s fist coming at his face before the screen cuts to black. Then we cut to Charlotte frantically searching through the office._

Charlotte- No, no, no. Where is it?

Hannah- Looking for something, _Char_?

_Charlotte turns to see Hannah. Guards walk in holding Lauren and AJ as well._

Hannah- You’ve lost, Charlotte. I know you’re a rational person. Hand over the binder, and we’ll send you and your friends back to Forrester unscathed.

Charlotte- Never!

Hannah- It’s your only move at this point. Be reasonable.

Charlotte- I think you’re forgetting my biggest asset.

_The air vent on the ceiling rattles and the Whisperer suddenly drops down._

Charlotte- Right on time.

_He pulls out the laptop._

Whisperer- I took the liberty of acquiring it before you.

Charlotte- Thanks.

_The Whisperer turns around and hands Hannah the laptop._

AJ- Oh snap!

_We cut to James waking up to find himself, Will, and Angela tied up in chairs. He looks and sees Becky working at a computer._

Christopher- Are you done yet?

Becky- Almost. These things take longer than you think, lughead. Not every problem can be punched away.

_Christopher rolls his eyes._

Becky- Got it!

James- Hold up! What’s going on?

Angela- Yeah, release us immediately.

Will- I thought you were still out.

Angela- No, I woke up before both of you, but I woke up really early today and needed a little nap.

Becky- Enough! It’s time.

Christopher- Finally, I’ll be back at the top.

James- What’s your plan?

_Becky and Christopher look at each other and laugh_

Christopher and Becky- _Our_ plan?

_We cut to Sterling walking onstage to massive applause._

Sterling- Students of Forrester, during my time here, I have grown to care for all of you and tried to help you in any way possible. However, my associates and myself have discovered some troubling things concerning our current leaders. I feel obligated to share this information with you, but I’m not happy with what I’m about to say. My smile is a smile of sadness! Now, if you would direct your attention to the video screen, I present to you the real leaders of Forrester School.

_We cut back to backstage_

Will- What is he doing? What is he going to tell them?

Becky- He’s not going to tell, he’s going to show.

_We cut to Woodsworth in Hannah’s office._

Charlotte- You snake! You betrayed us.

_Lauren tries to get out of the guards’ grips_

Lauren- Let go of me, you muscleheads!

AJ- I tried, Charlotte. I tried.

Whisperer- Charlotte, give Hannah the binder.

Charlotte- No! I knew you were unreliable.

Whisperer- Gotta look out for number one.

_The Whisperer approaches Charlotte._

Hannah- Hand it over, now.

_The guards run at her, but Charlotte kicks one in the stomach._

Charlotte- Back off.

Whisperer- Give it.

_He winks at her. Charlotte flashes back to the moment when the Whisperer told her to trust him._

Whisperer- Trust me, Charlotte.

_Charlotte pauses and music starts to play, but is then cut off when she slams her foot on the Whisperer’s._

Whisperer- Ooouch!

_Charlotte rushes at the guards and tackles one. The other two approach her, but both suddenly freeze and fall over. Jade slithers over them and up the Whisperer’s leg._

Hannah- What?

_The Whisperer uses his cane to knock the laptop out of Hannah’s arms and it falls to the floor and breaks. Jade looks towards the other guards, and they run off, freeing Lauren and AJ. Charlotte takes the two binders and puts the paper into the shredder._

Hannah- Nooooooo!

_The Whisperer walks to stand next to Lauren, Charlotte, and AJ._

Hannah- How could you, Whisperer?

Whisperer- I would never work with you. I was just testing Charlotte.

Charlotte- But you told me to trust you!

Whisperer- That wasn’t the test. The test was for intelligence. An intelligent person like you would never have let down their guard. Trust no one, my friend, trust no one.

_Charlotte laughs._

Charlotte- Glad you’re back on our side.

_They turn towards Hannah, who is quivering._

Lauren- Now, why don’t you tell us what Sterling’s planning for Forrester.

_Hannah nods and then we cut back to Sterling on the stage. The screen comes down and the lights dim. We see shots of James and Will substituted for Becky and Christopher poisoning the drinks for the assembly. The audience looks at their cups and throw them aside in shock and disgust. Then we see them swapped in again talking to a teacher. James and Will’s voices seem more robotic._

James- I’m sorry, but you’re fired.

Ms. Violet- What? But the kids… You don’t have the right to fire me!

Will- We do if you don’t want people to know…

_He whispers in her ear and she pales._

Ms. Violet- But that means the field trip will have to be cancelled.

James- Whatever.

Ms. Violet- But why are you firing me?

Will- Your hair is just tacky, and you really have no idea how to apply makeup.

Student in Crowd- That’s what happened to Ms. Violet?

_We cut back to James and Will._

James- What? We never did that stuff.

Angela- Those spheres… of course. It’s tech from Mr. Liev!

_Becky giggles._

Becky- Yep. You should really keep track of your enemies better.

_We cut back to the screen, where we see James and Will confronting a kid that’s tied up to a chair._

James- Tell us what you know about Sterling Price’s plans!

_Will pushes the chair over._

Will- Don’t make us hurt you even more!

_We cut backstage again._

James- You pretended to capture a kid and interrogate him?

Christopher- Pretended?

_They both start laughing maniacally. Then we cut back to the stage where Sterling walks forward again._

Sterling- I know this information must trouble you as much as it troubles me. James and Will have been going behind all of our backs. Thankfully, my associates, desperate to prove their loyalty to this school again, have apprehended the villainous Mr. Cross and Mr. Orwick.

_Becky and Christopher enter from backstage, restraining James, Will, and Angela. The crowd boos at them._

James- It’s not true! They framed us!

_Christopher covers his mouth._

Sterling- Tut, tut, tut, Mr. Orwick. Don’t try to defend yourself. Students of Forrester! These so-called _leaders_ have betrayed your trust and acted in their own interests. They do not deserve to lead you. But I have apprehended them! I have done this for you, my loyal subje- I mean friends. Make me your leader, and I will cleanse this school of selfishness and weakness!

_The students begin to cheer and start chanting Sterling’s name._

Sterling- Let’s start this cleansing with these three!

_The crowd starts to rush onto the stage towards James, Will, and Angela, who close their eyes and grip each other’s hands. Suddenly, Lauren’s team drops down from the ceiling and start defending them from the crowd. They free them from Christopher and Becky and escort them out of the gym and the school._

Gabriel- Looks like we got there just in time.

Mr. Garcia- The boss said you’d be in trouble.

Will- How could we let Sterling slip under our noses like that?

Angela- We were focusing on him so much, we didn’t even notice what Becky and Christopher were doing.

James- He… he outsmarted us.

Carmen- No time for tears, Orwick. We’re taking you to the boss.

_They arrive at a car and Mr. Garcia slips into the driver’s seat. Everyone else piles in. Then we cut to AJ, Charlotte, Lauren, and the Whisperer waiting at the top of the Woodsworth stairs. James, Will, and Angela walk up and meets them._

Whisperer- Looks like our mission went a lot better than yours.

James- Who are you?

Charlotte- This is the Whisperer. He was very helpful to us.

Will- The Whisperer? What kind of name is that?

Whisperer- Don’t let your crippling failure make you snappy, Cross.

Lauren- Guys! We can’t afford to fight now. We need a plan to take back Forrester!

Angela- Sterling may have taken our school, but he did make one mistake.

AJ- And what’s that?

Angela- He brought all the biggest threats to his power together.

_They all look at each other, start smiling, and then laughing as they walk away._

James- He doesn’t stand a chance.

_End episode._


	14. Rule the School S1E14

**Episode Fourteen: Infiltration**

  


Synopsis: Charlotte and Lauren sneak inside Forrester. Meanwhile, the Whisperer and AJ seek out an escaped prisoner.

  


_We open the episode with James, Will, AJ, Charlotte, Angela, Lauren, and the Whisperer talking together in the Woodsworth gym._

  


AJ- How are we going to take back Forrester? By now, Sterling probably has guards at every entrance!

  


Will- Yes, which is why we need to sneak in.

  


_He turns to Charlotte and Lauren_

  


Will- Or rather, you two need to sneak in.

  


Charlotte- What? I don't know if I-

  


Lauren- Yeah, sure. We'll do it.

  


James- Superb! But Sterling, Becky, and Christopher will recognize you.

  


Angela- Yes! We need disguises. But who should we disguise you as?

  


_The Whisperer, who has been silent, speaks._

  


Whisperer- I've got it covered.

  


_He snaps his fingers. Edward enters, dragging two unconscious Goth girls over his shoulder. He lays them on the floor. The Whisperer smiles, and everyone backs a little bit away from him._

  


Whisperer- There we are? Edward, their files?

  


_Edward hands the Whisperer two folders._

  


Whisperer- Yes, Lauren, you'll be Grace Webb, and Charlotte, you'll be Riley Hunter. I'll leave your appearances to Ms. Farrenburr.

  


_Angela rubs her hands together in glee._

  


Angela- Oh, this is going to be so much fun!

  


_Lauren tries to run away, but is stopped by Edward. He picks her and Charlotte up._

  


Angela- Come on, Edward!

  


_Angela sashays out the door, followed by Edward carrying Lauren and Charlotte._

  


James- Alright then, I guess that's done. Will and I will be advising them from here.

  


Whisperer- There is one more thing to deal with.

  


AJ- And that is?

  


_The Whisperer pushes the button next to the hydraulic elevator, and it begins to rise. We see Hannah tied to the elevator with duct tape on her mouth. She is struggling against the chains. James, Will, and AJ look nervously at the Whisperer._

  


Whisperer- I found her trying to escape the school. What should we do with her?

  


Will- Well, we can't just keep her chained up!

  


_The Whisperer looks confused._

  


Whisperer- Why not?

  


James- Look, just let her go.

  


Whisperer- What? She could be a valuable asset. I'm sure she has _some_ information on Sterling.

  


Will- We're not keeping prisoners. We just won't let her leave the school.

  


_The Whisperer's eyes narrow._

  


Whisperer- She'll escape. And when she does, I'll find her.

  


James- Well, if she escapes and you find her, then you can keep her tied up.

  


_The Whisperer smiles._

  


Whisperer- Superb.

  


_The Whisperer unchains Hannah and she runs out the door. The Whisperer exits._

  


AJ- He'll find her, you know.

  


Will- Which is why we're assigning you to find her first if she escapes. Right, James?

  


James- Yes! Right! Absolutely! We know you can do it!

  


_They exit, leaving AJ confused. We then cut to the Whisperer, AJ, James, and Will standing in a room together. Angela walks in._

  


Angela- Well, I'd say I did a pretty good job.

  


James- Well? Where are they?

  


Angela- Huh? I sent them ahead of me.

  


_The Whisperer reaches up with his cane and pulls open a ventilation shaft. Lauren and Charlotte fall down, dressed and made up like Goths._

  


Angela- There they are!

  


Lauren- Ugh, can we just go!

  


Will- Not before you receive some acting training…

  


Whisperer- From yours truly.

  


Charlotte and Lauren- No!

  


_The rest of them leave, and we fade away as the Whisperer begins to speak._

  


Whisperer- Now, pretend you are a cat. Meow! Meow! Purrrrrrrrrr!

  


_Then we cut to Hannah running frantically around Woodsworth. She finds an exit, and is about to enter through it._

  


AJ (offscreen)- Not so fast!

  


_Hannah turns around and only sees a staircase. After a while, AJ walks down the staircase and is visible._

  


AJ- Dang it, I said that too soon! Well, anyway, you're not getting away! I've made sure you can't get out those doors.

  


_Hannah looks at the doors. Taped over the sign that says PUSH is a sign that says PULL. Hannah pushes, and the doors open. She runs out._

  


AJ- Hey! Get back here!

  


_He runs after her. Hannah is almost to the school parking lot when she walks over a net which pulls up, catching her. AJ, who by this time is dragging himself across the floor, catches up to her. The Whisperer drops from the trees._

  


Whisperer- You were lucky this time that she didn't escape school property. I'd keep a closer eye on her if I were you.

  


_The Whisperer cuts the net open and Hannah falls out and begins running. The Whisperer whaps her in the head with his cane and she falls, unconscious. AJ catches her and looks up, but the Whisperer is gone. We see him hiding behind a tree before we cut to Lauren and Charlotte arriving at Forrester. They both have earpieces._

  


James (earpiece)- Remember, just find out what Sterling's next move is.

  


Will (earpiece)- Then report back to us.

  


James (earpiece)- And if things go south, get out of there as fast as you can.

  


Charlotte- Got it.

  


_They walk up the staircase. Christopher and some guards are at the top. They stop Lauren and Charlotte._

  


Christopher- Names, please.

  


Lauren- Uh, Grace Webb.

  


Charlotte- Riley Hunter.

  


_Christopher looks at a sheet with the two girls' names and pictures on them. He looks back at Lauren and Charlotte._

  


Christopher- You guys get makeovers recently?

  


_Charlotte sighs, then giggles._

  


Charlotte- Why, yes we did! Do you like them?

  


_Christopher raises an eyebrow._

  


Christopher- I'm going to have to make sure you're who you say you are.

  


_Suddenly, he falls to the ground and starts sniffing their feet._

  


Lauren- Uh, what are you doing?

  


Christopher- State of the art test. Works every time. Let's see… I'm getting… a whiff of…Woodsworth?

  


Charlotte- What, but we haven't been over there!

  


Christopher- Hmm, I suppose I could be wrong.

  


_Christopher stands up._

  


Christopher- What are those in your ears?

  


Charlotte- Oh, um, those are our earbuds.

  


Christopher- What are you listening to?

  


Lauren- Oh, you know… music.

  


Christopher- Let me see those.

  


_Reluctantly, they hand them over. Christopher puts them in his ears. He hears electric guitar._

  


James (earpiece)- DEATH! DARKNESS! MY PARENTS SUCK! NOBODY UNDERSTANDS ME!

  


_Christopher takes the earpieces out and hands them back to Charlotte and Lauren._

  


Christopher- You're free to go.

  


_Charlotte and Lauren walk away._

  


Lauren- How did you fool him?

  


_We see James and Will holding electric guitars._

  


Will- I always come prepared.

  


James- Same. You never know when you might need to form a rock band.

_We cut back to Charlotte and Lauren._

  


Charlotte- Cut it out. You guys can leave, we need to focus.

  


_They walk into Forrester. There are armed guards all around, and all over the place are posters of Sterling cheesily winking. They are looking at the posters when they bump into Becky._

  


Becky- Oh, thank goodness! Come on, you're going to help me move all my stuff to my new office. Names?

  


Lauren- Oh, Grace Webb.

  


Charlotte- Riley Hunter.

  


_Becky finally looks up at them and narrows her eyes._

  


Becky- Hmm. Fine then, come on. I have fifty pounds of assorted poison that I need transported.

  


_Lauren sighs._

  


James (earpiece)- Just play along.

  


_Lauren smiles sweetly._

  


Lauren- Happy to help.

  


_We cut to AJ frantically running around Woodsworth, looking around._

  


AJ- No, no, no! Where is she?

  


_The Whisperer approaches behind him._

  


Whisperer- Missing someone?

  


AJ- Where is she?

  


Whisperer- Off school property, I'm afraid. I tried my _sincerest_ to stop her, but she's gone.

  


AJ- Where's she going?

  


Whisperer- Off to tell Sterling our plans, I imagine.

  


AJ- Oh no! She heard everything! She'll blow the girls' cover!

  


Whisperer- What a shame.

  


AJ- Why are you doing this? You have something to lose from this too!

  


Whisperer- Oh, I'm just trying to prove a point. I get my way.

  


AJ- Is this about not being allowed to tie Hannah up?

  


Whisperer- Not anymore. I'm just trying to show that I'm always right. Now you know that tying Hannah up was clearly the best move.

  


AJ- Whatever. I'll go find her, and then we'll just lock her in a room or something.

  


Whisperer- Then I would suggest you hurry. I've already got Edward and Jade tracking her down.

  


_AJ runs off._

  


Whisperer- The exit is that way.

  


_AJ turns around and runs the other way. Then we cut back to Lauren and Charlotte transporting multiple vials of brightly colored poisons into Becky's new office. Becky supervises them._

  


Becky- Good, good. Oh, I've always wanted to use these.

  


_Becky starts pointing out poisons._

  


Becky- That one causes nausea for days! That one causes extreme fevers! And that one turns your hair blue!

  


_Becky's phone dings and she fishes it out._

  


Becky- Ugh, keep unpacking. I've got a meeting with Sterling.

  


_Becky leaves. Lauren and Charlotte look at each other and nod. Then they leave too. Then we see AJ being dropped off outside of Forrester._

  


AJ- Thanks, Mom.

  


_He looks up and sees Hannah running up the stairs. Christopher is gone at the meeting, and the stairs are deserted. AJ runs after her._

  


AJ- Get back here!

  


_Hannah looks back and runs, but AJ catches up to her and tackles her to the ground. Then we see the Whisperer and Edward observing from around a corner._

  


Whisperer- We'll let him think he's won for now. Better to have them all on our side when we face Sterling.

  


_AJ pulls Hannah's arms behind her back and rushes her away. The Whisperer walks after him, smiling and talking to him. Then we cut to Sterling, Becky, and Christopher talking in a room. Lauren and Charlotte listen from the other side of the wall._

  


Christopher- What's our next move? The Forrester kids are probably conspiring with the Whisperer right now!

  


Sterling- Yes, indeed. That's why we need to strike now and take back Woodsworth.

  


Becky- How? Are we going to send a mole? Poison all of them?

  


Sterling- I think it's time for a real show of strength. Christopher, assemble the troops for tomorrow.

  


Christopher- Yes! Lauren won't beat me this time.

  


Sterling (coldly)- I hope not. Don't underestimate them!

  


Christopher- They're scrambling, unorganized.

  


_Sterling yells._

  


Sterling- Consider every possible outcome! Do you think I got this far by underestimating my opponents!

  


Christopher- Um, no sir.

  


_Lauren and Charlotte look at each other._

  


Lauren (whispering)- Let's get out of here!

  


Charlotte (whispering)- Yes. But first, let's get one more thing.

  


_Charlotte whispers in Lauren's ear, and she nods. Then we cut to them arriving back at Forrester. James, Will, AJ, Angela, and the Whisperer are waiting._

  


James- Well?

  


Charlotte- They're planning to send their entire army tomorrow.

  


Will- What? What are we going to do!

  


Lauren- Oh, we added a little something to the school lunch from Becky's personal poison collection.

  


AJ- Ha! They'll all be sick! Didn't have _that_ information, did you, Whisperer?

  


Whisperer- No, I did.

  


_AJ deflates._

  


AJ- Really?

  


Whisperer- Well, you'll certainly never know.

  


_AJ dismisses him with a laugh._

  


James- Whatever. What matters is that we're prepared. Nothing could possibly go wrong.

  


Will- Don't say that, you'll jinx us!

  


James- Really? What could possibly go wrong? What could possibly go-

  


_End episode._


	15. Rule the School S1E15

**Episode Fifteen: Rematch**

  


Synopsis: Sterling's army marches towards Forrester, while James, Will, and the Whisperer try to come up with a plan.

  


_We open with shots of Sterling's army gathering weapons and lining up. They march through the hallways in unison. Then we get shots of all the kids in the army in bed, sick with thermometers in their mouth. Then we see Sterling talking to Becky and Christopher._

  


Sterling- What?!

  


Becky- The entire army seems to have gotten food poisoning, sir.

  


_Sterling closes his eyes and takes a deep breath. He clenches his fists and raises them. Becky cowers, but Christopher is unfazed._

  


Christopher- I'll take them.

  


Sterling and Becky- What?

  


Christopher- I'm sure that James and Will haven't had the chance to organize the Woodsworth armies. All they have is Lauren and her team.

  


Sterling- You mean the people that beat your entire army?

  


_Christopher's eyes narrow._

  


Christopher- I've _changed_ a lot since then.

  


Sterling-… Don't disappoint me.

  


Christopher- Yes, sir.

  


_We follow Becky walking out of the room. She turns a corner and runs into the Whisperer._

  


Whisperer- Hello.

  


_Becky opens her mouth, but Jade bites her on the heel and she collapses, unconscious. The Whisperer attaches a small camera to her shirt. Then we cut to him walking down the stairs to Forrester, where James and Will are waiting._

  


James- Why did we send Charlotte and Lauren here if you can just get in anytime?

  


_The Whisperer shrugs._

  


Will- Whatever, what's the plan now?

  


Whisperer- We watch the camera to discover Sterling's weakness. To the secret lair!

  


_We cut back to Becky, who is waking up. She stands._

  


Becky- Huh, what happened?

  


_She shrugs._

  


Becky- I guess I won't question this at all.

  


_She walks away. Then we cut to Lauren and her team patrolling the forest around Woodsworth._

  


Carmen- I don't see the point of this. All of Forrester's army is sick!

  


Gabriel- They were all traitors anyway, following Sterling!

  


Lauren- Well, Will said that we need to patrol, just in case.

  


_Emily snorts._

  


Emily- Whatever.

  


_We see a shadow rustle among the trees. The team turns towards it._

  


Matthew- What was that?

  


Mr. Garcia- Show yourself!

  


_The shadow approaches and walks out. It's Christopher. He smiles._

  


Christopher- What do you say we have a rematch?

  


_Lauren and her team charge at him. Then we cut to Becky walking into a meeting with Sterling and some other students._

  


Sterling- Becky, where have you been?

  


_Becky thinks for a second_

  


Becky- Sorry, I woke up on the ground, and I was late,

  


_Sterling's eyes narrow. He snaps his fingers, and two guards step forwards and restrain Becky._

  


Becky- Hey! What are you doing!

  


_Sterling picks the camera off of her shirt._

  


Sterling- A camera! You're spying for the enemy.

  


Becky- What? I didn't know that was there! I'm on your side, I swear!

  


_Sterling bores into Becky's eyes. Then he crushes the camera under his shoe._

  


Sterling- We've been breached.

  


_We cut to James, Will, and the Whisperer in the secret lair as the camera feed cuts out._

  


Will- Darn it!

  


James- What are we supposed to do now?

  


Whisperer- We'll have to go find Sterling's weakness ourselves.

  


Will- I feel like Lauren and Charlotte could have done that last episode.

  


_The Whisperer shrugs._

  


Whisperer- Well, something gives me the feeling that Lauren's storyline won't be enough to take up an entire episode. Speaking of which…

  


_We cut back to Lauren and her team fighting Christopher. Christopher is better than he was before, catching Matthew's arrows and dodging the gunfire. Emily runs at him, but he judo flips her over his shoulder, and she groans. Matthew leaps through the air, firing an arrow, but Christopher catches it and throws it back at him. We begin to fade back to James, Will, and the Whisperer, but Lauren looks at the camera._

  


Lauren- Wait! That's it? One minute of action and then we're gone again.

  


_An unknown person's voice speaks offscreen._

  


Unknown Voice- We'll cut back to you in a while, don't worry.

  


_Lauren huffs, then turns back to the battlefield. We cut back to James, Will and the Whisperer, who are wearing 'disguises.' Will is wearing a trenchcoat and hat (reference to TMNT), James is wearing glasses (reference to Superman), and the Whisperer is wearing a fake moustache. They are walking up the stairs to Forrester, with Becky guarding the top again._

  


Becky- Who are you!

  


James- I'm… you know… Bob…McBobson. I like… football?

  


Will (in bad German accent)- I am Rudolph Schmidt the third! I am tenth in line for the throne of Germania.

  


Whisperer (in Southern drawl)- Well howdy there, missy, I'm Lil' Chuck. I'm here with my two friends. We're new to this here schoolhouse today.

  


_Becky's eyes narrow._

  


Becky- Haven't I seen you somewhere before?

  


James, Will, and Whisperer (robotically)- No, no, no, I don't think so.

  


Becky- Well, that's convincing enough for me. Come with me.

  


Will- Uh… I think we can find our way around.

  


Becky- No, no, it's school rules for new students to check in with our class president… Sterling Price.

  


_James, Will, and the Whisperer look at each other nervously. Becky begins to walk away, beckoning for them to follow her, when a smoke bomb hits the ground and Becky begins to cough. James, Will, and Whisperer are grabbed and taken away. When the smoke clears, Becky is standing alone._

  


Becky- What was that?

  


_We cut to James, Will, and the Whisperer being confronted by a hooded figure with a scarf over their face. They take off the scarf to reveal Charlotte._

  


Charlotte- What are you guys doing here?

  


James- I could ask the same about you.

  


Charlotte and James- We're/I'm here to discover Sterling's weakness.

  


_Charlotte scowls._

  


Charlotte- Leave the infiltration to us, prettyboys. You're lucky we got you out of there.

  


Whisperer- But how did you see through our ingenious disguises?

  


_Charlotte rolls her eyes._

  


Charlotte- Becky will have guards patrolling the perimeter by now. Just stick with me.

  


_Will, James, and the Whisperer nod. Then we cut to Charlotte, James, and Will climbing through a window into a classroom._

  


James- Where's the Whisperer.

  


Whisperer- I'm already here!

  


_They see that he is already in the classroom. They are silent. The Whisperer sighs._

  


Whisperer- Really? Nothing? AJ is much easier to impress.

  


Will- Speaking of which, I wonder what AJ's up to.

  


_They put their fists under their chin, and the screen ripples, as if we are about to cut to AJ, but when the screen is normal, we still see James, Will, Charlotte, and the Whisperer._

  


Charlotte- Oh, we're not cutting to him? Let's go then!

  


_We see them walking through the school, trying and failing to act nonchalant. Charlotte rolls her eyes at the boys. As they pass the entrance to the office area, they quickly run inside. They walk up to the door of Sterling's office, and peek inside. Sterling is talking to Becky._

  


Sterling- I will not stand for this! We have been infiltrated by James and Will's goons. Who knows how much information they got!

  


Becky- Sir, I-

  


Sterling- And now you're telling me there was an attack on you today!

  


Becky- Sterling, trust me, everything's-

  


_Sterling's voice begins to get high-pitched and fearful, and his hands begin to twitch._

  


Sterling- Do you know how I've risen this far, Becky? It's not just because of my devilish good lucks! It's because I _never_ underestimate my opponent. James and Will have something up their sleeve, I know it! They've found ways to take out our entire army!

  


Becky- Sir-

  


_Sterling's voice falls almost to a whisper._

  


Sterling- We will make sure that no one will be able to infiltrate us again. We will fortify this school and protect every last bit of information. Do I make myself clear?

  


Becky- Yes, sir.

  


_Becky begins to walk out, and James, Will, and Charlotte scramble to hide behind furniture and potted plants. Becky walks out and sees the Whisperer standing out in the open, but she seems preoccupied._

  


Becky- Oh, hey, Lil' Chuck.

  


Whisperer (in Southern drawl)- G'day, ma'am.

  


_Becky exits. James, Will, and Charlotte come out of their hiding spots._

  


Will- Did you hear that? Sterling's totally paranoid! We'll never be able to get any more information.

  


James- Yes, he's quite paranoid…

  


_He looks at the Whisperer and they exchange a smile._

  


Whisperer- But we're going to use that against him.

  


_They look at Charlotte, but her eyes are closely knit together._

  


Charlotte- Guys…

  


_Pause._

  


Charlotte- Where's Christopher?

  


_We cut back to Lauren and her team. Carmen, Lauren, Mr. Garcia, Gabriel, and Oscar are the only ones left standing. Christopher is a blur on the battlefield, dodging their attacks. Gabriel runs at Christopher, but Christopher slides under his legs and grabs his shield. He proceeds to throw the shield at Oscar, knocking one of his machine guns away. As Gabriel turns around, Christopher grabs him and throws him at Oscar, knocking them both down. Suddenly, a bullet barely misses Christopher. He stumbles back, and looks up. Carmen is swinging from tree to tree, firing at him. He grunts and tries to shoot her, but she hides in the foliage. As Christopher tries to listen for noise, Mr. Garcia runs at him, firing wildly. Christopher shoots every one of his bullets out of the air. As Mr. Garcia pauses to reload, Christopher fires at him, aiming at his shoulder. Mr. Garcia ducks, and the bullet flies by, hitting Carmen as she swings by, causing her to fall. Mr. Garcia turns towards the sound._

  


Mr. Garcia- Carmen!

  


_He turns back around, but Christopher is already leaping through the air, kicking him in the chest. Christopher breathes heavily, and bends over in exhaustion. Suddenly, Lauren in behind him, and presses her gun to his temple._

  


Lauren- Celebrating too soon, eh? You really shouldn't let your guard down.

  


Christopher- And you should really protect your stomach.

  


Lauren- Huh?

  


_As Lauren looks at her stomach, Christopher sweeps her legs out from under her, aiming his gun and firing. Lauren, just in time, shoots the bullet out of the air, and tries to scramble back. She manages to stand up as Christopher fires at her. However, as she backs up, she trips on Matthew's unconscious body. Christopher aims the gun at her and sneers._

  


Christopher- Any last words?

  


Lauren- Darn it! I didn't have time to think of a witty remark!

  


_Christopher laughs and is about to pull the trigger when he suddenly becomes very stiff. He falls to the ground, and Charlotte, James, Will, and the Whisperer are standing behind him. Charlotte is holding a gun. Lauren looks at them, then quickly stands up and composes herself._

  


Lauren- Well, you know I could've beaten him myself.

  


_Charlotte raises an eyebrow. Lauren laughs._

  


Lauren- Kidding, Char, kidding.

  


_Charlotte smiles, and James steps forward._

  


James- The first battle's been won.

  


_Will steps forward._

  


Will- But the war's just begun.

  


_The Whisperer steps forward._

  


Whisperer- Now let's have some fun…

_End episode._


	16. Rule the School S1E16

**Episode Sixteen: The Guerilla Game**

Synopsis: The gang engages in psychological warfare.

_We open the episode with silent shots of Sterling and the Forrester kids respectively entering their schools. We see that outside Forrester, guards are patrolling the entire perimeter. We also see Woodsworth's army lining up outside at the courtyard. The Forrester kids walk up to them, and the Whisperer goes to meet them._

Whisperer- The troops are gathered, as you requested.

_James nods. He now has the eyes of a leader. He looks at Lauren, who steps forth to command the troops._

Lauren- Troops, this is different than the battles I'm sure you're used to! We're not trying to beat Sterling's army. We're trying to scare them. We're playing…

_She looks at the camera._

Lauren- The Guerilla Game!

AJ- Hey, that's the title!

Charlotte- Let's do this!

_We cut to Sterling. He's sitting in his office with the lights out. He is twitching and looking from side to side rapidly. Becky enters his office._

Becky- Um, Sterling?

_Sterling sharply turns his head towards her._

Sterling- Yes? What is it? Any news about Christopher?

Becky- Sort of…

_She holds out her phone, and we see a picture on it. It's a selfie with Lauren and the Whisperer in front of Christopher tied up in a chair. Underneath is the caption, "You're Next, Price." Sterling's eyes go wide._

Becky- What should we-

_Sterling spits as he yells._

Sterling- Reinforce the defenses! Add more guards! Make sure no one can get in!

_Becky starts to speak, then pauses._

Sterling- NOW!!

_Becky quickly nods and leaves. Sterling continues twitching. Then we cut to two Forrester guards patrolling the school. Suddenly, a car pulls up. The two guards look and it, then look at each other. They approach the car._

Guard 1- Excuse me, but I'm going to need you to step out.

Guard 2- No unauthorized personnel is allowed on school properties.

_The car door opens, and Lauren and Charlotte jump out and attack the guards. Lauren twists one's wrist then punches him in the stomach, and Charlotte kicks one in the throat. They are both rendered unconscious, and Lauren and Charlotte take a deep breath and look at each other. In the next shot, they are wearing the guard's clothes over their regular clothes, as well as scarfs over their faces, and are marching back into the school. A female guard stops them._

Female Guard- Hey, you two are wearing the wrong numbers! Those uniforms belong to Mike Jamble and Kevin McDermott.

_Charlotte quickly comes up with an excuse._

Charlotte- Oh, they're sick today. Some residual illness from that sneaky poisoning, I bet.

_The female guard nods._

Female Guard- Yeah, that James is a sneaky little rat.

Lauren- Weren't you following him, like, a week ago?

Female Guard- That's beside the point!

Charlotte- Anyway, Mike and Kevin asked us to fill in for them.

Female Guard- So what are you doing here?

Charlotte- Our shift just ended.

Female Guard- Off with you, then.

_Lauren and Charlotte breathe a sigh of relief, then head inside. Lauren taps an earpiece._

Lauren- We're in.

James (in earpiece)- Good, very good. Now cause some chaos!

Charlotte- Happy to oblige.

_We cut to AJ and the Whisperer holding remote controls. Then we see that they are piloting drones holding pieces of paper. We also see numerous other students holding remote controls and piloting drones as well. The drones fly over Forrester, and the students down below point at them. We then see a shot of Sterling looking up at the drones, shaking with rage. AJ, the Whisperer, and the other students press buttons on their remote controls. The drones release their cargo, and the pieces of paper float down to the ground. Students pick them up and whisper among themselves. Lauren and Charlotte pick one up and smile. Sterling looks at one. In big letters it says "The Price is NOT Right." Underneath it are the words, "Watch Your Back." Sterling reads it over, and begins to twitch even more. Then we see Lauren and Charlotte again. Charlotte looks over at Sterling and then nudges Lauren._

Charlotte- Sterling's distracted. Now's our chance.

Lauren- Let's go.

_We see Lauren and Charlotte run off, but Becky sees them leave and her eyes narrow. She follows them. We see Lauren and Charlotte sneaking into Sterling's office and going to his computer. Becky sees them enter the office area and smiles._

Becky- I've got you now.

_Suddenly, one of the drones flies in front of Becky and starts to shoot her with paintballs. Screaming, Becky runs away, and the drone follows. We see Lauren and Charlotte._

Lauren- Thanks, Whisperer.

_We see the Whisperer piloting a drone._

Whisperer- No problem. Although, I would suggest you get an alibi. Becky will report to Sterling soon.

Charlotte- No need. We'll be back at Woodsworth before they even figure out who we were.

Lauren- We just need to plug this in.

_Lauren holds up a flash drive and plugs it into Sterling's computer. Charlotte presses some buttons, and then they high-five._

Whisperer (in earpiece)- That'll put a bee in their bonnet.

_Lauren and Charlotte groan._

Charlotte- A bee in their bonnet? Really, Whisperer?

Lauren- Whatever, let's just get out of here.

_Lauren and Charlotte leave the room. Then we cut to shots of screens coming down from the ceiling all around Forrester. On all of them are James and Will's faces._

James- Hi there, Forrester kids. Did you miss us?

Will- We're having a great time here at Woodsworth, but we're ready to take back our school.

James- If you know what's best for you, I would suggest you stop following Sterling and return to your real leaders.

Will- And to a certain person who might be listening, just know that you're going to pay the _price_ for your betrayal.

James- Catch you on the flippity-flop.

Will- Really, that's what you're going to end wi-

_The video cuts out. The Forrester kids are silent. Becky quickly rushes to the stage._

Becky- It appears there's been a… technical malfunction. Everything is just fine!

_A random student calls out._

Student- Hey, where's Sterling?

_Becky grits her teeth._

Becky- He's… occupied.

_We see Sterling pacing around his office. He is also, you guessed it, twitching. Then we see the Whisperer standing in front of Woodsworth's troops._

Whisperer- We've pushed Sterling to the brink, now we need to push him over the edge. Strip his protection away and he'll be easy to beat. Go forth!

_The troops begin marching away from Woodsworth. We see a montage of them knocking out all the guards patrolling Forrester. Then we see Sterling observing the action and twitching! Suddenly, he turns towards his phone and picks it up. Then we see Lauren and Charlotte, along with a couple other panicked students, about to exit the school._

Student 1- We've got to go!

Student 2- James and Will will get us if they catch us here.

Student 3- Our only hope is to switch sides.

_They reach the door, but Becky and ten heavily armed guards are guarding the door._

Student 4- Let us out!

_Becky smiles._

Becky- Sorry, orders from the boss. Until the ruffians from Woodsworth leave, no one gets in.

_She pauses and looks at the students, particularly Charlotte and Lauren, who are trying to bury their faces in their scarves._

Becky- And no one gets out.

_Charlotte and Lauren look at each other nervously. The final shot is an bird's-eye-view of the Woodsworth troops surrounding Forrester._

_End episode._


	17. Rule the School S1E17

**Episode Seventeen: School in Lockdown**

Synopsis: The gang plans a rescue operation.

_We open with an overhead shot of the Woodsworth troops surrounding Forrester. Then we cut to James, Will, and the Whisperer._

James- How are we supposed to get in there?

Will- And how are we supposed to get Lauren and Charlotte out? They’ve got the place on total lockdown!

James- AND they’re jamming our communications, so we can’t talk to them.

Whisperer- You think that’s bad? I haven’t been able to post on Snapshot for days!

Will- Ugh! We need to open the doors and get them out soon!

_They hear a voice from behind them._

AJ- I might have an idea…

_We cut to Lauren and Charlotte observing the panic at the locked doors from afar._

Lauren- That sneaky Brit! He locked the doors.

Charlotte- I’m sure James and Will have a plan to get us out.

_Lauren snorts,_

Lauren- I’m not waiting around for them. I’m sure Sterling can be… convinced to help us. I just need you to help get me to the main office.

_Charlotte nods._

Charlotte- I hope you’re right about this.

_Charlotte leaps out._

Charlotte- Hey everyone! There’s an open door through the hallway!

_Everyone leaps and runs away, including the guards guarding the main office._

Lauren- Well, that was easy.

_Charlotte shrugs._

Charlotte- I didn’t want to have to do an expensive action scene. We don’t have the budget for that. Let’s go.

_We cut to them entering the main office to see that it’s empty._

Charlotte- Drat! Sterling’s not here!

Lauren- Time for Plan B, then.

_Lauren walks over to the intercom and activates it._

Lauren- Hello, students of Forrester. This is your sheriff Lauren Lee. When James and Will get in here, all of you traitors are going to be in so much trouble! But for now, those of you that want to be spared… activate the Deputy Protocol.

_She deactivates the intercom._

Charlotte- What’s the Deputy Protocol?

Lauren- A program I created for situations like this. You’ll see.

_They look out of the window to see that certain students are now fighting random guards, and it turns into an all-out brawl._

Lauren- My deputies should keep them busy long enough for us to find Sterling. Let’s go.

_We cut to AJ talking to James, Will, and the Whisperer._

AJ- This school’s had issues with its power for years. No one else was taking care of it, so I acquainted myself with how this school runs and learned how to fix it.

_He points to a diagram of the school with 2 highlighted areas._

AJ- There are two power control units within the school. Each of them can lock the doors, but to reset the locks, they both have to be activated at the same time.

James- That seems incredibly inconvenient and inefficient.

AJ- Hey, I didn’t design it. Ask the writers. Anyway, one of the control units is in the basement of the school, and one of them is in the west wing. We just need to get Lauren and Charlotte to those units to unlock the doors.

Will- This is awesome, but how are we supposed to get someone in to tell Lauren and Charlotte all of this?

AJ- Don’t worry, I have a plan. Every day at exactly 1:00, the chute on top of the school is opened to clear out the smoke from the school’s biofuel system.

Whisperer- You have a biofuel system?

AJ- Yeah, it provides some of the school's power. We should be able to get someone down when the furnace turns off. But who to send…

Whisperer- We need someone totally inconspicuous, someone the audience themselves probably forgot existed. And someone one hundred percent expendable.

_They turn their heads to see Angela walking by._

James- Angela! That’s it!

Whisperer- Who?

_We cut to Becky storming into a room. Sterling is sitting in a chair._

Becky- Sir, we need to unlock the doors! The students are growing more and more rebellious, and now apparently Lauren Lee is on the loose inside the school.

Sterling- Do you know how I got where I am today, Ms. Poller?

_Becky rolls her eyes._

Sterling- By holding strong. By never going back on any decision. They’ll never respect me if I submit to their wishes. No, no, instead, we need to make a deal. I’ll be out there to talk to the students in five minutes.

_Becky sighs and leaves. Sterling looks at a guard._

Sterling- Bring me the Secret Phone of Secrecy!

_The guard nods and goes to open a large vault with a key. The vault functions like a Russian doll, with multiple smaller vaults inside which are all unlocked until the last is opened to reveal a small phone. Sterling dials a number and we cut to a soldier camped outside the school, his eyes widening. Then we cut to the same soldier walking into a tent where Hannah is being guarded._

Soldier- It’s an urgent communication.

Guard- From who?

Soldier- It’s Sterling. He’s, uh, discussing, uh, surrender terms.

_Hannah takes the phone. She hears something from the other side and smiles. She puts the phone down._

Hannah- I knew there was a reason you guys volunteered to guard me.

Guard- What are you talking about?

Hannah- Initiate Spectre\ Protocol.

_The guards smile._

Guard 2- I thought you’d never ask.

_We cut to Sterling._

Sterling- You’re not the only one with a protocol, Ms. Lee.

_We cut to AJ, the Whisperer, and Angela on the roof of Forrester._

AJ- It should open any second now. You remember what you have to do, Angie?

Angela- Yes, not that I need to, with all the reminders you gave me.

_She pulls out several pieces of paper from her pocket that have diagrams of the school and instructions. Then she shows her hands which have a map of the school drawn on them._

Angela- And don’t call me Angie.

_The chute opens._

AJ- You ready?

_Angela hefts a thick pillow._

Angela- Yep.

Whisperer- Good luck.

Angela- I won’t need it.

_She walks up to the chute and leans back to fall into it, her pillow beneath her. She lands with a soft thud in the furnace, but it is turned off._

Angela- Hm. Smells like barbecue.

_She walks out of the room and scans the chaotic floor beneath her for Lauren and Charlotte._

Angela- Where are they?

_Suddenly, Angela looks up to see a guard._

Guard- What are you doing up here?

Angela- Oh, you know, just trying to get away from the fighting.

_Angela stomps the guard with her heel._

Guard- Ow!

_She stomps him again._

Guard- Ow again!

_He avoids her next stomps and runs at her, but he suddenly slumps over to reveal Lauren and Charlotte behind him._

Lauren- Angela! How did you get in here?

Angela- It’s a long story.

Charlotte- Really?

Angela- No, I guess not. I used the biofuel chute.

Charlotte and Lauren- Ohhh.

Angela- That’s not important, though. I know how to unlock the doors. I’ll explain on the way to the basement.

_Lauren and Charlotte nod and they run to the stairs. Then we cut to James, Will, and the Whisperer looking over a map of the school in a tent. Suddenly, Hannah appears in the doorway._

Will- Hannah! How did you escape your cell?

_Hannah snaps her fingers and two guards appear at the doorway._

Whisperer- Sleeper agents! I should have guessed!

James- Private guard!

_Lauren’s crew comes in, minus Oscar._

James- Get her back to her cell.

_Hannah smiles and a dozen more guards appear at her side, including Oscar._

Will- Oscar! You traitor!

_Oscar stops speaking much more eloquently than he normally does._

Oscar- Sorry, James. Sorry, Will. You never did bother to check my school history, did you? If you did, then you would know that I transferred from Woodsworth this year.

Hannah- You did great, Oscar.

_Hannah and Oscar perform a complicated secret handshake. James, Will, and the Whisperer watch with their mouths hanging open. Then we cut to Angela, Charlotte, and Lauren reaching the basement. There are several guards in front of the control panel._

Guard- What are you doing down here?

Lauren- Going over our budget.

_She kicks him in the chest, and shoots two of the other guards with paintballs. Angela takes off her heels and continuously slaps one guard in the face with them. Charlotte watches with a smile. Once all the guards are down, Angela steps to the control panel and flips several switches._

Angela- There we go.

Lauren- Good. I’ll guard this one, you guys get to the other.

Charlotte- Right.

_Angela and Charlotte runs up the stairs. Then we cut to Sterling finishing his talk with the students._

Sterling- Are we in agreement?

_The students nod._

Sterling- Wonderful. My friends will unlock the doors soon.

_We cut to Angela flipping switches on the second control panel. She finishes and leaps up._

Angela- Yes! I got it!

Charlotte- Great! Now we just watch our victory unfold.

_We cut to Sterling, who is smiling. Then we cut to James, Will, and the Whisperer, who are tied up._

James- It’s too late, Hannah! Our troops are already prepared to charge.

_They turn their heads to see the doors open._

Will- Ha! They got it!

_Hannah smiles._

Hannah- Yes, yes they did.

_They keep watching and see the entire Forrester student body charging out of the doors towards their army._

James- What!?

Whisperer- Fascinating. He recruited the entire student body. Why didn’t we think of that?

Hannah- Because your students don’t have the incentive. It was all part of the plan! Lock them in, then force them to fight for us! Genius, I know!

_Hannah turns around, bringing her sleeper agents with her to charge at the rear of the Woodsworth army._

Will- Where are you going? What are you doing?

_We see the Woodsworth troops trying to fight, but they are eventually overwhelmed from all sides. We see shots of them being tied up and captured._

James- Did we just lose?

Will- I-I-I

Whisperer- What he’s trying to say is yes.

_End episode._


	18. Rule the School S1E18

**Episode Eighteen: Lowering the Price**

Synopsis: Sterling makes preparations to take back Woodsworth.

_We open on shots of Woodsworth’s army being surrounded and captured, hauled away. Then we see Angela and Charlotte running out of a room and confronting Sterling, who is giggling maniacally._

Charlotte- What have you done?

Sterling- I’ve won, that’s what I’ve done! Ha! Everything went according to plan!

Angela- What do you mean?

Sterling- You’ll find out soon enough.

Charlotte- Not if I kick your butt first!

_Multiple guards approach from behind Sterling._

Sterling- I wouldn’t do that if I were you. Not unless you want your friends to suffer.

_Sterling holds up his phone and we see a picture of James, Will, and the Whisperer tied up._

Angela- What? You captured them?!

Sterling- Of course! I wouldn’t want them to miss my retaking of Woodsworth!

_Charlotte and Angela look at each other, then sigh and raise their hands above their heads. Then we cut to Lauren standing over the control panel._

Lauren- Ugh, how long are they going to take? I’ve been standing here for ages!

_We hear Sterling’s voice over the intercom._

Sterling (over intercom)- My lovely students, well done stopping those ruffians from attacking our school. Now, to fulfill our deal, let’s go march on Woodsworth! We move out in thirty minutes.

Lauren- What? He stopped us!

Sterling (over intercom)- We’ve captured James, Will, and their associates, but if you could find your former sheriff, that’d be greaaat. Ta-ta!

_Lauren peeks her head outside and sees students running towards the exits of the school, where the troops are assembling. One of the students spots Lauren._

Student- There she is! Get her!

_The student runs towards Lauren but she kicks him out of the way. More and more students run towards her, however, and she is forced to run. As she runs, she is pulled around a corner and the students pass by. We see that it was AJ that pulled her._

Lauren- AJ? What are you doing here?

AJ- I saw that they had captured everyone, and I came to see if you, Charlotte, and Angela got out.

Lauren- I don’t think they did. They would have found me by now.

AJ- It’s up to us, then.

Lauren- What are we going to do?

AJ- We bust out our friends, free our army, then get that scumbag Sterling back.

_Lauren nods grimly_

Lauren- Let’s do it.

_We cut to Sterling and Becky at the head of their army, being carried on large palanquins. We see the various prisoners being dragged by their side._

Becky- We should be arriving at Woodsworth soon, Sterling.

Sterling- Good. They’re defenseless, so this should be quick.

Becky- And you’ll make me leader of Forrester like you promised?

Sterling- Of course. I just need you to do one last thing for me.

Becky- Yes?

Sterling- I need you to take another group and guard the prisoners. March far behind the main group.

Becky- What? Why?

Sterling- Have I led you astray thus far, Becky?

Becky- I suppose not. Fine, then.

_Becky turns around and whistles. A platoon of guards breaks off from the main group and hauls the prisoners back. We cut to Lauren and AJ observing Becky’s group from a distance._

AJ- That’s where they’re holding everyone.

Lauren- But how are we going to get everyone out?

AJ- We’ll have to sneak in and free your elite team first, then they can help us get everyone else out.

Lauren- And then we can get that horse-dumpling Sterling

AJ- Horse-dumpling?

Lauren- Excuse my language.

_We cut to two guards. One is licking a lollipop and goes to throw out the wrapper. As he reaches inside the trash can, he is grabbed and pulled in. We hear him groan, and the trash can discreetly stands up and he is slid out on the ground behind. The other guard looks over, confused, and sees the trash can right in front of him. Lauren tosses the trash can off of her and punches the guard in the face. We cut to James, Will, Charlotte, Angela, and the Whisperer tied up in a tent. Suddenly, yells are heard from outside._

James- What’s happening?

Angela- Is this a rescue? Finally!

Guard- Quiet! Let me check it out

_The guard walks outside, and we hear him give a high-pitched scream. Suddenly, the door opens and we see Lauren and AJ._

Will- Lauren! AJ!

Charlotte- You came!

AJ- Of course. We can’t take down Sterling by ourselves.

Lauren- Well, we probably could, but-

AJ- Whatever. Let’s go rescue the others and capture Sterling once and for all. Where is he?

James- I think he’s in the main tent

Lauren- Fantastic. Let’s go.

_We cut to Gabriel, Mr. Garcia, Emily, Carmen, and Oscar bound to chairs. Suddenly, Lauren and the gang burst into the tent, quickly dispatching of the guards and untying them._

Mr. Garcia- Ugh, thanks. Those ropes chafe like you would not believe.

_Gabriel bares his teeth_

Gabriel- There’s some things I’d like to say to Sterling once I see him.

Lauren- Shouldn’t be long now.

Head Guard (offscreen)- The prisoners have escaped. All guards assemble and take them down.

Lauren- Let’s go, gang.

Emily- Whatever you say, sheriff

_They all exit the tent to see dozens of guards facing them in formation._

Head Guard- Attack!

_All the guards charge at Lauren and her deputies, and they spring into action, using their bare hands to take down the weapon-wielding guards. We see AJ stumble across a tent containing various weapons, which he then takes to the battlefield._

AJ- Here you go!

Carmen- Thanks, TJ.

AJ- It’s, um, AJ. Shoot, she’s gone.

_With their weapons now in hand, the deputies are even more dangerous, mowing through the guards. Lauren jumps on top of Oscar, who springboards her into a group of guards. Carmen has gotten on top of one of the tents and is now shooting down guards from afar. Oscar fires barrages of paintballs, shielded by Gabriel. A weaponless guard jumps on AJ, and he struggles with the guard. We cut to various more action shots of the deputies, and see that once all the guards are dispatched, AJ is still struggling. Lauren rolls her eyes and hauls the guard off AJ._

AJ- Yes! I beat him!

Lauren- You’re pathetic.

_We see the Whisperer walking out of a tent nuzzling Jade._

Whisperer- Oh, I missed you, darling. I’ll never let us be separated again.

_We cut to Becky in her tent, pacing._

Becky- How long until we have them captured again?

Guard- Surely not long, my lady, surely not long.

_Suddenly, the gang bursts in and Lauren, Charlotte, and the Whisperer swiftly take out all the guards in the tent._

Becky- Eep!

_They surround her and look at her confusingly._

James- You’re not Sterling…

Becky- Of course I’m not! Frankly, I’m insulted you thought I was.

Will- But where is he?

_Becky shrugs. Then we cut to Sterling and the rest of the troops arriving at Woodsworth. We see shots of the school being stormed and Sterling and Hannah standing before a crowd._

Sterling- We’re back, folks! So good to see all of you again!

Hannah- Did you miss us?

_We cut to the gang arriving a short distance away from Woodsworth._

Will- We’re too late. He’s taken the school.

James- I can’t believe we fell for his trick. Of course he would abandon some of his troops as bait.

Becky- Abandon? He just abandoned me!?

Charlotte- You mean you didn’t know?

_Becky shakes her head vigorously. James thinks for a second, and then an idea comes to him._

James- I bet you’re real mad that Sterling left you behind to be captured.

Becky- Um, duh! He promised me Forrester!

James- Maybe we can help you get your vengeance.

Becky- I’m listening…

_We cut to Becky being restrained by Lauren as the gang walks up the steps to Woodsworth. Sterling and Hannah walk out to meet them._

Becky- Let me go, you brute!

Sterling- So you captured my associate, did you.

James- Yep, and now you’d better hand over both schools if you want her back.

_Sterling laughs haughtily._

Sterling- How amusing. Unfortunately, I’m currently in the process of shutting down several revolts from the Woodsworth students, so I don’t exactly have time for your nonsense. Maybe later I’ll just take her back, but-

_Suddenly, Becky slams on Lauren’s foot. Lauren yelps and lets go, and Becky pushes her away, and Lauren falls to the ground._

James- No! Get her back!

_AJ dives for Becky but she avoids him and runs back to Sterling._

Hannah- Ha! Looks like the negotiations were short!

Sterling- Good to have you back, Becky, and I didn’t have to do anything, either. Ta-ta, morons!

_Will falls to his knees_

Will- Noooooo! We’ve looooooost!

_Sterling, Hannah, and Becky walk inside. The gang retreats but as soon as they are behind a corner they pull out a walkie-talkie._

Whisperer- Well done, Becky. That was superb acting.

Lauren- That wasn’t acting. My foot still hurts.

_We cut to Becky inside the school crouching around a corner._

Becky- I know, I know. But now it’s time to get to work.

Angela- You have to take Sterling down before he subdues the Woodsworth students

James- That’s right. It’s too risky if he has both student bodies on his side.

Becky- I think I have an idea… but I’ll need your help.

_We cut to Sterling and Hannah addressing both student bodies in a large auditorium._

Hannah- Thank you, students. None of this would be possible without your excellent compliance.

Sterling- I’m pleased to announce a new era of peace and well-being between our two schools, headed by your glorious leader: me!

_He is met with thunderous applause._

Sterling- I’m so glad I was able to expose James and Will for the scumbags they were and tell you students nothing but the truth, and-

Becky (offscreen)- Stop right there!

_Sterling turns to see Becky enter the stage._

Sterling- Becky? What are you doing!

Becky- I’m here to expose _you_!

_Sterling laughs nervously_

Sterling- Whatever are you talking about.

_Sterling starts whispering_

Sterling- Get off the stage

Becky- James and Will never did those things Sterling showed. Me and Christopher did, and he edited it to frame them!

_A collective gasp goes through the crowd._

Student 1- You lied to us!

Student 2- You’re not a leader, you’re a loser!

Student 3- You tricked us!

Becky- See, that’s the problem with recruiting the commoners, Sterling. They don’t have any loyalty. They’re as easy to turn as a doorknob.

_The Forrester students start to advance on Sterling._

Sterling- Students of Woodsworth! _Restrain_ them!

Whisperer (offscreen)- Not so fast!

_James, Will, Angela, AJ, Charlotte, Lauren, and the Whisperer enter the stage and the crowd lets out an even larger gasp._

Whisperer- See, I told you the dramatic entrance was a good idea.

James- Students of Woodsworth, you have no reason to follow Sterling and Hannah. We destroyed all the copies of the information they have on all of you!

Sterling- Liars!

Charlotte- Oh, really? Prove it.

_Sterling sputters helplessly._

Lauren- That’s what we thought.

Hannah- Nonsense! I have my binder right here!

_She holds up a binder but screams and drops it as Jade slithers up her arm. Will goes to pick up the binder._

Will- Yes, you do have your binder. There’s just one problem…

_He turns the binder around to reveal that all the pages are blank._

James- So, tell me now, Sterling. What reason do any of these students have to serve you?

Sterling- I-I

_Hannah looks at Sterling questioningly. He looks back at her with wide eyes._

Sterling- Run.

_Sterling and Hannah quickly scramble off the stage and make for the exit of the school._

Whisperer- After them!

_The gang rushes after Sterling and Hannah with other students close behind. Lauren sprints ahead of the pack. They eventually catch up at the bottom of the stairs where they see a black car pull up._

James- What is that?

Sterling- Did you really think I wouldn’t have a backup plan? Jacques here is going to take me to my new school.

Charlotte- You’re just going to abandon what you’ve been working towards?

_Sterling shrugs_

Sterling- Sorry, but I’m not sticking with this sinking ship. Toodaloo.

Hannah- Wait, what about me?

Sterling- Don’t worry, I’m sure these nice fellows will take care of you.

_Sterling jumps in the car and it speeds away._

Sterling- Later!

_Hannah looks empty as she is restrained by Gabriel and Carmen. We then cut to James, Will, Tommy, and the Whisperer addressing the Woodsworth student body._

James- We are pleased to announce an actual era of peace between our two schools. Tommy here will be leading you all from now on, with the Whisperer as his chief advisor.

Will- You’ll be able to handle this lot, won’t you?

Whisperer- Of course.

James- We’ll be taking Hannah, though. She might have information on any future plans Sterling might be cooking up.

_James and Will walk away from the stage._

Will- We are still going to try and take over Woodsworth, aren’t we?

James- Oh, absolutely.

Will- Glad we’re on the same page. This isn’t something to feel guilty about, is it?

James- No, no. That’s just how you rule the school.

Will- This year’s just begun!

James- Yes, who knows what we can accomplish together now.

_We see the Whisperer looking at them, smiling._

_End episode._

_Post-credits scene: We see the front doors to Woodsworth opening. The Whisperer walks in, flanked by Edward and Tommy. He stops dramatically in the center of the lobby and all the lights go out except for the one over him. He begins to snap his fingers and sing._

Whisperer- **I watched. And I waite-ed. I gathered my assets, I got the facts set straight. Mm, but now. Yes, but now. It’s the Whisperer’s time to rise.**

_The lights go back on and we see that Edward is playing the trumpet. He has a short solo as more Woodsworth students start to gather around the Whisperer._

Whisperer- **Oh, fears, doubts, and secrets, that’s what I lived on. For all those years, waiting for my moment to striiiiike. Fears, doubts, and secrets, that’s how you gain control. I lurked in the shadows, but now my time has finally come!**

Woodsworth Students- **Now his time has finally come!**

_The Whisperer jumps on a table._

Whisperer- **The tables have turned, the game has changed, make way for me. Smarter, stronger, than any of you could ever possibly hooope to beeee! Oh, fears, doubts, and secrets, that’s what I lived on. For all those years, waiting for my moment to striiiiike! Fears, doubts, and secrets, that’s how you gain control. I lurked in the shadows, but now my time has finally come!**

Woodsworth Students- **Now his time has finally come!**

_Edward has another trumpet solo as the Whisperer crowd surfs the students and performs a short dance number._

Whisperer- **Yeeeaaah! Fears, doubts, and secrets, that’s what I lived on. For all those years, waiting for my moment to striiiiike! Fears, doubts, and secrets, that’s how you gain control. I lurked in the shadows, but now my time has finally come.**

Woodsworth Students- **Now his time has finally come!**

****

Whisperer- **Yes, now my time has finally come!**

Woodsworth Students- **Now his time has finally come!**

Whisperer- **Yes, now my time has finallyyyy cooooooooooooome!**

_The Whisperer looks at the camera._

Whisperer- See you next season, folks.


	19. Rule the School: Echoes

**Special 1: Echoes**

Synopsis: The Whisperer remembers his past

_We open the episode with a shot of the Whisperer in his office at Woodsworth. Lauren enters the room._

Lauren- Come on. We move out soon to take back Forrester from Sterling.

Whisperer- Yes, of course.

_The Whisperer stands up, but knocks over a pencil sharpener on his desk as he does so. Lauren goes to help him pick it up, but sees a picture previously obscured by the sharpener._

Lauren- What's this?

Whisperer- Hm?

_Lauren hands the photo to the Whisperer and we see a younger version of the Whisperer with a blond-haired girl._

Lauren- Who's that?

_The Whisperer appears shocked, and seems to try to collect his memories._

Whisperer- Um…I- an old friend. Yes, that's it.

_Lauren shrugs._

Lauren- Okay, meet us in twenty.

_The Whisperer nods and Lauren leaves. He sits in his chair and continues to look at the picture. He takes off his eye patch and looks at a small mirror he has on his desk, and we fade from his face to the face of his younger self. We see the young Whisperer sitting outside a restaurant, waiting for people to come out._

Whisperer- Do you have any food to spare? Anything would help.

_Someone gives him a piece of bread._

Whisperer- Thank you so much, sir.

_He splits the bread in half and gives half of it to Jade, who is curled up on his lap._

Whisperer- There you go, girl. Eat up.

_We see the sun fall and the Whisperer sighs and stands up. Jade slithers up his leg and we see them arrive in an alleyway where a makeshift shelter of cardboard is set up. The Whisperer sits down and pulls out a ragged and torn newspaper and starts to read it. He sees a family photo on one of the pages and stares at it for a while. Then he tosses the newspaper onto a pile of others, where Jade curls up. A strong gust of wind blows through the area, and the roof of his shelter is blown off._

Whisperer- Darn it!

_He runs out of the shelter to chase after the roof, with Jade slithering after him. They find the roof, but as he is hauling it away, he sees a girl being teased by two larger boys who are holding her book above her head._

Girl- Hey! Give those back!

_The Whisperer puts his head down and keeps walking, but as he turns the corner into the alleyway, he hears her yell again. Sighing, he turns around._

Whisperer- Hey! Leave her alone?

Bully- Or what? You'll weird us to death?

_Jade slithers onto the Whisperer's shoulder and hisses at them._

Bully 2- Wha-what is that thing?

Whisperer- Do you really want to find out?

_The bullies look at each other and run away. The Whisperer looks up at the girl, who seems terrified. The Whisperer sighs and runs back to his cardboard shelter. The girl looks after him and walks away. We cut to the next day, where the Whisperer is walking to the same restaurant to beg. He sits down, and a hand comes into frame holding a cupcake. The Whisperer looks up and sees the girl from earlier. He takes the cupcake._

Whisperer- Th-thank you.

Val- It's nothing. I wanted to say thank you for yesterday… and sorry for running away.

Whisperer- It's fine. I'm used to it.

_Val sighs and sits next to the Whisperer._

Val- I'm Val, by the way.

_The Whisperer looks over at her, surprised she's still there._

Whisperer- My name's Alan.

_He offers his hand, and she shakes it._

Val- Well, it's very nice to meet you.

_Val stands up and walks to the door of the restaurant._

Val- Well? Are you coming?

Alan- What?

Val- You saved me, didn't you? I'm obligated to repay you.

_Alan's eyes go wide and he stands up and follows her inside. We cut to them sitting down at a table._

Val (mouth full)- So, what are you doing all alone out here. Where are your parents?

_Alan stays silent, a dark look in his eyes._

Val- Sorry… touchy subject.

Alan- It's… fine. Who were those guys?

Val- Just two lunks from my school. They stole my script.

Alan- Script? For what?

Val- I do musical theatre after school. My parents want me to get more serious about it.

_Val's phone dings. She looks at it and sighs._

Val- It's my parents. I have to get home. It was nice to meet you, Alan.

_Alan stays silent, but blurts something out as she leaves._

Alan- I can help you.

Val- What?

Alan- Just meet me outside here tomorrow.

Val- Um… okay.

_Alan smiles slightly and we cut to him walking home later. We see Jade slither out from the cardboard box._

Alan- You were a sleepy girl today, weren't you?

_He lies down and Jade slithers up, nuzzling his face. He takes out a small piece of his meal and feeds it to her. We zoom in on his face as he remembers thoughtfully. We see flashes of memories: a younger Alan stumbling upon a room full of guns, a young Alan discovering a small Jade, and the outline of a large man swirling with rainbow color. He shakes himself out of it, and goes to sleep, whistling a slow tune. We cut to the next day, where Val is waiting by the restaurant, tapping her foot. Suddenly, her arm is grabbed, and she is pulled by Alan around the corner._

Alan- Quickly, come with me.

Val- What are we even doing here?

Alan- I have to repay you for giving me the food.

Val- But the food was already a repayment for you saving me.

Alan- Then you can repay me again with your company.

_Val giggles. They arrive at Alan's shelter._

Alan- Here we are, home sweet home.

Val- This is where you live?

Alan- Yep, all mine. Pretty cool, right.

_Val had a look of sadness on her face._

Alan- Anyway, I'm here to help you with your musical theatre!

Val- You? No offense, but what do you know about musical theatre?

Alan- At my house, I had a lot of spare time on my hands. I taught myself a lot. I taught myself how to sing, how to dance… how to pretend.

Val- At your house?

_Alan gives Val the same dark look from earlier_.

Val- Okay, then. Teach me how to sing.

Alan- Not so fast- show me what you've got. Go through the solfege.

_Val proceeds to go through, sounding awful._

Alan- Well, that was… a starting point.

Val- Hey, don't judge unless you can do it better.

_Alan proceeds to go through the solfege pitch perfect._

Val- Fine, then. Teach me.

Alan- My honor.

_We get a training montage. We see singing training, dancing training, and acting training interspersed with Alan and Val just talking and Val bringing in ribbons and chimes to decorate Alan's shelter with. Some things we see is Alan teaching Val to walk, strutting as if on a catwalk, Alan and Val performing a SPICY salsa dance, and Alan doing Val's makeup for her. After the montage, we see Val and Alan crammed into his shelter while it rains._

Val- Alan…

Alan- Yeah?

Val- What's with your eyes? I mean, I've never seen anything like them

Alan- I… don't know. They’ve always been like this.

_Val tries to stretch but can't._

Val- Ugh, this space is so cramped.

Alan- Yeah, sorry about that.

Val- No, no, it's not your fault. I was just thinking about something…

_Suddenly, Jade slithers out of a crevice._

Val- AAAH! Alan, snake!

Alan- Jade, I thought I told you to stay hidden! Bad girl!

Val- You…know it?

_Val looks uncomfortable as Jade slithers up Alan's leg._

Alan- Sorry, I didn't want her to freak you out. This is Jade.

Val- Um… hello.

_Val tentatively reaches out and touches the snake's head. Jade closes her eyes and nuzzles Val's hand._

Alan- She likes you.

_Suddenly, Jade slithers up Val's arm._

Val- Eep!

Alan- It's okay. She's harmless, really.

Val- It… it tickles.

_She giggles, as does Alan. Jade slithers back. Val's phone dings again._

Val- Ugh. I have to go.

Alan- Oh… well, bye.

_Val flashes a smile before leaving in the rain. Alan smiles, before his head shakes and we get more flashes of memories: Alan firing a pistol at a target, test tubes in a row, and the same rainbow colored figure. Alan snaps out of it, finding himself holding Jade tightly. He quickly releases her._

Alan- Sorry, girl… sorry.

_Jade hisses and slithers off of him, and we see Alan reach underneath a piece of cardboard and pull out a shard of glass. He uses it as a mirror, looking at his eyes and feeling around them. Then we cut to the next day, where Alan is shaken awake._

Alan- Ughhhh… who is it?

_The screen pans up to reveal Val holding a large bag._

Alan- Val? What are you doing here?

Val- I just _can't_ practice in a dump like this.

Alan- Hey! It may not be much, but it's home.

Val- So, I thought I'd help you spruce it up a bit.

_She reaches into her bag and reveals various pieces of colored cardboard and assorted decorations. Alan is shocked._

Alan- Th-thank you!

Val- Oh, it's no prob-

_She is interrupted by Alan suddenly hugging her. He pulls away._

Alan- Let's get started.

_Cue another montage of decorating. Highlights include Val and Alan drawing on each other, hanging up a tiny chandelier, and vastly expanding the size of Alan's shelter. We get more cutesy scenes between them as Alan watches through a window while Val performs in a show. Throughout the montage, we get audio of both of them singing_

**Val: I'll be there…**

**Alan: When you need me most, I'll be there…**

**Val: When you're out of hope, I'll be there…**

**Alan: When you're falling down, I'll be there…**

**Val: When you don't want me, I'll be there…**

**Alan and Val: Becaaaauuse… we are bound together. A bind that will never sever. I'll always have a tether… to yoooouu.**

_We see Val notice Alan watching her from the window and smiles._

**Val: I'll be by your side, standing by you. I'll be by your side, with you through… the good times, the bad times, and everything in between!**

_We see them laughing and eating Chinese takeout in the new shelter._

**Alan: I'll be there.**

**Val: I'll be there.**

**Alan and Val: I'll be there.**

_We cut to Val waking up in her house in her pajamas and humming the same song. She gets in a chair and hops onto her computer. We see her scrolling through some social media platform or whatever kids do. Suddenly, she sees something, narrows her eyes, then widens them in shock. We cut to Alan throwing treats to Jade, smiling._

Alan- Good girl, that's it.

_A car pulls up and Val opens the door and storms out. Alan looks up and stands up excitedly._

Alan- Hey, who's driving y-

Val- What is this?!

_She holds up a poster with a picture of Alan on it labelled MISSING. Alan's eyes go wide and he stops breathing. He is speechless._

Alan- What… where… did you find that.

Val- Your father's been looking for you all around the area. You ran away from home, Alan? He misses you.

Alan- What are you talking about? You didn't…

_A voice speaks from offscreen._

Unknown Voice- Oh, she did.

_Alan looks to see a portly man step out of the car wearing a black suit. Alan's eyes go hard._

Alan- Val, get behind me.

_Her eyes are filling up with tears._

Val- Alan, he's your father. I can't believe you!

_Alan's father walks slowly up to Alan._

Alan- Father.

Father- Good to see you, boy.

_Alan's father slaps him in the face._

Val- What are you doing?!

Father- You ever pull something like that again, and I'll let all the boys have at you.

Alan- I'll never come back with you.

Father- Oh, but you don't have a choice. You're a smart kid, I'll admit, and the mob needs a heir after I die.

Val- The… the mob? What are you talking about.

Alan- You shouldn't have brought him here, Val.

_Alan's father looks down and sees Jade slithering against the Whisperer's leg._

Father- Ugh, you kept that thing with you?

_He kicks Jade, sending her skidding across the ground._

Alan- Stop!

_He punches his father in the gut. His father looks shocked, then pushes him against a wall and starts to beat him mercilessly._

Val- Stop it now!

_Alan's father looks back and sees Val holding her phone up._

Val- I have your photo. I can show it to someone.

_Alan looks up at her, his face bruised._

Alan- Wait, Val, no!

_Alan's father grabs Val's arm as she tries to run away, and pulls a pistol from his jacket. Val is terrified and looks at Alan. Tears are streaming down his face, and she manages to smile at him. Then we cut to Alan's horrified face as a gunshot rings out. His father walks up to him, and Alan throws himself upon him, hurling fists at him._

Alan- I'll…I'll call the police on you!

_His father pulls out a phone and hands it to him._

Father- Be my guest.

_Alan dials and holds the phones up to his, tears running down his face. We cut to a courtroom, where a judge bangs a gavel and Alan sits by his father, looking at his father's back pocket, which has a knife in it._

Judge- In conclusion, we find the defendant not guilty.

_Alan's father looks back at him, but Alan cannot look at him. We cut to later, where Alan's father hands some money to the judge, who walks off._

Father- Well, that was an inconvenience. But, now we can go home.

_He looks at Alan, who is looking down. His hands twitch as we see more flashes: his father kicking him in the leg, him standing at the back of a group of adults planning a robbery, and Val's dead body._

Father- Listen to me. You can't do anything to me. I'm untouchable.

_Suddenly, Alan starts giggling. His father stands back in shock. He continues laughing uncontrollably, tears streaming down his face. Suddenly, he pulls out the knife from earlier and stabs his father in the leg. His father doubles down in pain as Alan runs away._

Father- Get back here boy, or there'll be hell to pay.

_Alan keeps running, still laughing. He runs around a corner, and reaches into his vest pocket, pulling out Jade, who is curled up._

Alan- It's okay, girl. He's gone… and we're going far, far away. Somewhere where _I_ can have the power.

_We cut to the present day, where the same car from earlier pulls up to a large mansion. The Whisperer's father exits the car, and walks inside. He find the Whisperer sitting on his couch, and jumps back in surprise._

Whisperer- Father.

Father- What are you doing here, boy?

Whisperer- Why, I'm finally going to do what you want. I'm going to take my place as heir.

Father- What are you talking about? Why do you look like that?

_The Whisperer stands up._

Whisperer- I used to think you were something too large to be overcome, some sort of god. But now, I look at you, and you're so… small.

_His father starts to get angrier._

Father- Hold on, Alan-

_The Whisperer loses it._

Whisperer- Stop it! Stop speaking! You are not the one in control anymore! I have all the cards, all the power! And… I'm not Alan anymore.

_His father seems shocked._

Father- You are nothing, boy. Whatever you have, it can't compare to me.

_The Whisperer starts to talk, then pauses._

Whisperer- I could continue arguing with you… but you're not worth my time. Jade, double dose.

Father- What?

_Jade bites his father's heel, and he falls to the floor, writhing in pain. The Whisperer leans over him, his eyes cold._

Whisperer- Don’t worry, it'll all be over soon. _I_ don't make people suffer unnecessarily.

_His father screams out._

Whisperer- It's a nice place, father. I have plans for it.

_We cut to Val's house, where her parents step out to see a note and a large piece of paper at their doorstep. We hear the Whisperer's voice as they read the note._

Whisperer (voiceover)- I don't know if Val ever told you about me, but we were close. I was there the day she died… it was my fault. It's been years and I still haven't gotten over it fully, so I can't imagine how you feel. Your daughter… inspired me. She inspired not to be powerless, not to suffer her same fate.. But anyway… hopefully you can make better use of this mansion than I can. I know it won't bring her back… but it has a hot tub, so… I guess that's cool.

_Her parents pick up the piece of the paper, discovering it's a deed. They cover their mouths in shock. We cut to a graveyard, where the Whisperer is standing in front of a grave with a picture of Val in front of it._

Whisperer- I did it, Val. He's gone forever now.

_He pauses._

Whisperer- If only you could see me now… I think you'd be proud. I learned from you. I'm never going to feel like I did when you died again… helpless. In fact… soon, I'm going to have all the power.

_He places a flower in front of the grave, then walks away._

_End episode._


	20. Rule the School S2E1

**Episode One: Welcome Party**

Synopsis: Angela and Lauren return to Woodsworth, and the gang back at Forrester interrogate their prisoner

_We open in a dark room with a silhouette sitting in a chair. Suddenly, a bright light shines to reveal Hannah sitting in disheveled clothes. She looks bored, and we see on the opposite side of the table is the entire gang in their new garb._

Hannah- Nice to see you. About time someone talked to me.

James- Sorry for the way you've been treated under our care.

Hannah- No you aren't.

James- True. Now, you're going to answer some questions for us.

Hannah- Fat chance. How have you even been able to keep me here, anyways?

James- As far as your parents know, you're on an, ah, _immersive_ learning experience.

Will- Enough talk, time for some interrogation.

Charlotte- That will involve talking, though.

Will- Charlotte…

Charlotte- Yes?

Will- Shut up.

Charlotte- Okay.

Hannah- This is fun, isn't it.

_Lauren threateningly appears behind Hannah._

Lauren- What do you know about the Whisperer?

Hannah- Is that what this is about? I know as much as you, so practically nothing.

_Lauren whips out her pistol and walks around the table, holding it._

Angela- Oh come on now, Hann. Can I call you Hann?

Hannah- No.

Angela- You have to know more than that, Hann.

Hannah- Let's just say that you would have been better off leaving Woodsworth in Sterling's hands.

James- As if. It's over now, Hannah. We beat Sterling, won the day, and left Woodsworth in the hands of a stable leader.

_Hannah laughs for a solid 10 seconds._

Hannah- Stable?

James- What?

Hannah- Maybe I do know the Whisperer better than you, because at least I know not to trust him.

Charlotte- I wouldn't say we trust him.

Will- That's why you're going to tell us how to take him down.

Hannah- No can do, Cross. These lips are staying sealed.

_There is a pause._

Angela- Let's switch focus, then. Are there any spies or moles that Sterling left at Forrester?

Hannah- You'll never know.

_She tries to perform an evil laugh, but chokes partway through. James and Will look at each other and nod._

James- I suppose you wouldn't know. Why would Sterling trust _you_ with any information?

Will- I mean, he trusted you to keep control of Woodsworth, and look how that turned out.

_Hannah becomes infuriated._

Hannah- Sterling trusted me! He told me everything! I would know if there were any moles at Forrester!

Angela- Ah, so there aren't any. Thanks for playing, honey.

_Hannah sputters, but regains her composure. She looks at AJ, who has been silent the entire time._

Hannah- What about you, AJ? What do you think of the Whisperer?

AJ- I…I…what? I mean… he's a little weird, but…

_James holds up a finger to hush AJ and Hannah giggles_

Hannah- See, even your lackey has his doubts.

AJ- Lackey! I'm not a-

Will- AJ, stop. We're getting nowhere with her.

James- Come on.

_They exit the room, but AJ looks back at Hannah, who grins at him before they leave._

Will- We can't go try to take over Woodsworth without any information!

James- We need intel before we go in full force.

Charlotte- But how do we get it?

Lauren- All this talk is boring, can't we just punch the Whisperer?

Angela- We'll have to send some spies in before we strike.

AJ- I'm really hungry right now.

_They all turn to him._

AJ- What? I am!

James- Not the time, AJ. Go get some food, and _we'll_ make a plan.

AJ- But-

_They are already walking away, however, and AJ bows his head in shame. We cut to Lauren in a mostly empty room, training with her pistol. Her eyes widen and she turns around, thrusting her foam knife towards the door, which is stopped by Angela's finger_

Angela- Hi to you as well.

Lauren- Oh, it's you. I should have moved quicker.

_Angela giggles._

Angela- See, that's what I like about you, Lauren. You're so blunt.

Lauren- What do you want?

Angela- I just wanted to extend an olive branch. I'm not under the impression that you like me too much.

Lauren- What gave you that impression?

Angela- When you tried to hit me with a knife.

Lauren- I've done that to all my friends at one point.

Angela- Pun intended?

_Lauren can't hold back a snort._

Angela- See, there doesn't have to be so much tension between us. And, just between you and me, I feel like the others don't appreciate what you bring to the table as much as they should.

Lauren- I get recognized enough.

Angela- Not in my opinion. They just see you as the brawn, as a weapon they wield to solve their problems, but I know that's not all you have. I've seen that you're sharp, smart, and could kick anyone's butt.

_Lauren pauses for a second_

Lauren- Thank you, but what are you telling me this for?

Angela- Nothing, just that I wouldn't rather have anyone watching my back than you.

Lauren- I watch James and Will's backs. You just happen to be piggybacking off of them.

Angela- Maybe that could change.

_Lauren raises an eyebrow._

Lauren- That would be putting yourself on the same level as James and Will.

_Angela smirks and raises an eyebrow of her own. Lauren suddenly raises the foam knife and holds it up to Angela's chin. Angela stares Lauren straight in the eyes with a steely gaze._

Angela- That's not what I'm saying at all, Lauren. I'm just saying that I respect you more than anyone else does… so maybe you should return the favor.

_She narrows her eyes, and Lauren smiles and lowers the knife._

Lauren- Well… you've certainly earned my respect, Angela.

Angela- Thanks, _friend_.

_She nods at Lauren and walks out of the room. Lauren's gaze lingers after Angela before she turns away. We cut to James and Will in an office together._

James- We need a plan to take over Woodsworth, but Hannah's not giving us anything!

Will- I mean… maybe this is a bad idea.

James- What?

Will- Expanding to other schools, taking more power. Isn't that exactly what Sterling was trying to do?

James- We were trying to take over Woodsworth too, Will. We just had to make some concessions for the Whisperer's help… concessions we'll soon take back.

Will- But it didn't work out for Sterling when he tried. What makes you think this will be any different?

James- We're going to do it right.

Will- When does it stop, though? When we rule every school?

_James stands up and walks over to Will._

James- What are you trying to say? You used to be the most ruthless out of all of us.

Will- I'm just saying that maybe what we have is enough, and we should be happy with it. You don't _have_ to have more.

James- We don't have to have any of this, Will. We have it because we wanted it enough to take it. Now, are you in, or are you out?

Will- You know I'll follow you anywhere.

_James flushes, but quickly regains his composure._

James- Then it's settled. We take Woodsworth… then we'll take a break.

Will- I'll be beside you all the way.

_They nod at each other and James sits down. Then we cut to Charlotte sitting down in an office and AJ entering._

AJ- What are you doing, Charlotte?

Charlotte- Checking school records to make sure nobody's transferred from Woodsworth in the past. We don’t want another Oscar on our hands.

AJ- Oh… cooooool. What happened to Oscar, anyway?

Charlotte- Ran back to Woodsworth and groveled to the Whisperer to forgive him.

_Long pause. AJ sits down. Charlotte looks up at him._

Charlotte- What do you want, AJ?

AJ- I just… want to know how I can help with this Woodsworth takeover.

Charlotte- What?

AJ- I mean, what can I do? I can help out. I've actually been to Woodsworth, don't forget.

Charlotte- Yes, but so have other people. People that are more…

AJ- More what?!

Charlotte- Capable.

_AJ is shocked and hurt, and bites his lip._

AJ- I see.

_Charlotte sees that she's hurt him._

Charlotte- Look, we need you back here to help us manage Forrester. You're perfectly capable.

AJ- No, no, it's fine. I see now. I'm not focused enough, I'm not cold enough. I'm not cut out for this kind of stuff.

_He stands up and walks out._

Charlotte- AJ, wait! Come on!

_James' voice blares over the intercom_

James (intercom)- Attention, can the ruling council of Forrester please report to the upper offices.

_Charlotte sighs and stands up. We cut to the gang minus AJ assembling in a large room._

James- Alright, everyone, Will and I have concocted a brilliant plan!

Will- One of us is going to go to Woodsworth for a few weeks and gather intel. Then, with that information, we can make a plan of attack.

James- The only problem is that we don't know who to send.

Will- Wait…where's AJ.

Charlotte- He's… having some issues. We can sort this out without him.

Will- Fine. As we were saying-

Angela- I'll go.

James- What?

Angela- Well, we can't risk you or James going, and AJ's out of the picture.

Charlotte- What about me?

Angela- We need you _here,_ Char. We don't know if Sterling planted any other moles, and nobody's better at sorting through that kind of information than you.

Charlotte- But-

Angela- Plus, you spent more time than me working with the Whisperer, didn't you? He knows you, and if he knows you, he can predict what you're going to do.

James- Fair point, Angela. Charlotte, you're staying. We can't risk the Whisperer knowing what you're going to do. But Angela, you're not as familiar with Woodsworth. How do you expect to be able to navigate it?

Angela- I'm glad you asked. You see, I won't be alone. Lauren will be there to guide me and guard me.

_All eyes turn to Lauren, and she looks at Angela, who is smiling slyly. They look at each other for a brief moment._

Lauren- I'm in.

Will- It's decided then. Get your affairs in order, you two. You're switching schools.

_We cut to a black car arriving outside the steps of Woodsworth. Lauren and Angela step out and are greeted by Oscar and a crowd of guards._

Oscar- Ms. Farrenburr, Ms. Lee. Welcome.

_Lauren growls._

Lauren- Oscar, you lying snake.

_She fingers her pistols, but Oscar tuts disapprovingly._

Oscar- I wouldn't do that. It would violate our peace agreement, and you'd be taken down before you can bat an eye.

Angela- _Anyway_ , where's the Whisperer? I thought he'd want to greet us.

Oscar- He has more important matters to attend to. But he did prepare a little welcome for you. Come.

_They walk up the stairs and into the school and see several students dressed up in stupid outfits. They look terrified, but quickly put smiles on their faces and start to dance._

Woodsworth Students: **Welcome… to our beautiful school. We're happy all day, and we never run away. Or he'll get us. Yes, he'll get us. The Whisperer will get us if we ever run away. So we're happy. Yes, we're happy. We're happy all day, and we never ever ever run awaaaaay.**

_They retreat around a corner, and Lauren and Angela exchange a look._

Angela- That was… interesting.

Lauren- Weird way to say trash.

Angela (whispering)- Lauren, be diplomatic!

_They hear footsteps and turn around to see Tommy and Edward approaching._

Tommy- Hello, visitors!

Oscar- Welcome our leader, Tommy!

Lauren- Ugh, I forgot about this kid. I hate children.

Angela- Watch and learn, Lauren.

_Angela walks over to him._

Angela- Well, hi there! Thank you so much for the warm welcome! I can see you've done a great job leading Woodsworth!

_Tommy beams._

Tommy- Wow, thanks! We're so happy to have you!

_Edward walks over to Lauren._

Lauren- Hey there, big guy.

_Edward says nothing._

Lauren- I'm going to be here for a while, Eddy. You don't have to talk to me… just don't get in my way.

_They have a brief stare-down before Edward backs off._

Tommy- And so then everyone was looking at me for help, and that's when my head advisor came up with a brilliant plan for me!

Angela- Uh-huh…

_Suddenly, Edward picks up Tommy and starts to walk away._

Tommy- Well, bye then! Talk to you later!

Angela- Actually, I think I'm busy later.

Oscar- Well, make yourselves at home.

_Angela and Lauren are left alone, and start to walk down a hallway._

Angela- The kid seems nice.

Lauren- I don't get it. Why does the Whisperer need to rule through him?

Angela- It's actually pretty smart. The Whisperer gets to make all the decisions, and if something goes wrong, he can throw all the blame on Tommy. But that does leave one weakness…

Lauren- What's that?

Angela- Tommy can be manipulated, and then the Whisperer's left with no power.

Lauren- So we can get the intel and give it to James and Will.

_Angela sighs and narrows her eyes._

Angela- Yes… of course.

_We cut to Hannah in her cell, eating a meal. The door opens and she looks up to see AJ._

Hannah- What are _you_ doing here?

_AJ sits down silently._

Hannah- Well?

AJ- What do you know that can help us take down the Whisperer?

Hannah- You know, I didn't want to tell you before, but asking me again _definitely_ makes me want to spill.

AJ- Don't mouth off to me.

Hannah- Oooh, he fights back. Why should I tell you anything?

AJ- What do you want for it?

Hannah- Ah, you want to bargain? With James and Will's permission, I'm sure.

_AJ hesitates and Hannah laughs._

Hannah- Ha! You're going behind their backs. What do you expect to accomplish on your own?

AJ- Be quiet!

_Hannah quickly becomes silent._

AJ- I said, name your price.

Hannah- I would ask you to let me go, but we both know that's not within your power. How about this… you get me some good food and some makeup, and I'll give you something.

AJ- How do I know you'll give me anything good?

Hannah- You don't exactly have another choice. I can see in your eyes that you have something to prove, so you're going to have to take my word for it.

AJ- Fine, then. I'll-

_The door suddenly opens and Charlotte walks in._

Charlotte- AJ, what are you doing in here?

AJ- Nothing, I-

Charlotte- Ugh, never mind, just come with me to the gym. We're holding auditions.

AJ- For what?

_We cut to them arriving in the gym._

James- Our beloved sheriff Lauren Lee has transferred to Woodsworth, so we are forced to find a new sheriff. You have all shown desire for the position, now you are ready to prove your worth!

_We see Lauren's gang and a bunch of extras in the crowd._

Crowd- Yeah!

Will- Okay… three, two, one, fight!

_Gabriel immediately lunges at Mr. Garcia, blocking his shots with his shield. He hits him with his sword multiple times, then pushes him in front of himself to block a shot from Carmen. Mr. Garcia crumples to the floor, and we see Carmen taking out a bunch of extras. Suddenly, her spidey-sense goes off and she turns around just in time to dodge Emily lunging at her. She blocks a couple strikes with her rifle, but is knocked down. At the last second, Emily is hit by one of Matthew's arrows. Matthew winks at Carmen right before being shot in his stomach by her. Carmen is then hit by Gabriel's shield as he runs at her, blocking her shots with his sword before hitting her in the legs and sweeping them out. He looks around to see he is the last one standing._

Gabriel- Yeah! I did it!

Unknown Voice- Up here.

_Gabriel looks up to see a woman crouching on the rafters. She leaps down and hits him in the head with a foam baseball bat._

Unknown Woman- Thanks for playing, kid.

James- Excuse me, but who are you?

Unknown Woman- A simple congratulations would be fine, but okay. I'm Ms. Primm, but you can call me Constance. I teach physical education.

AJ- Oh, that explains why we don't know you.

Will- Gym was never really our thing.

Constance- Well, I had Lauren as a student. She had heart, but I always thought I could do better as sheriff.

James- Well, now you'll get your chance, temporarily, at least.

_Constance narrows her eyes._

Constance- Yes, I'm going to make some changes around here. Lauren was too soft on delinquents.

Charlotte- Well, that's settled.

_She tosses Constance a badge._

Charlotte- You go do whatever you're planning to do, and we have matters to attend to.

_They walk out, and James pulls out a phone and dials a number. We cut to Angela picking it up._

Angela- Hey, James.

James (voice)- Hey, Angela. Have you gotten anything yet?

Angela- Jeez, chill. We've been here for all of an hour. The Whisperer hasn't even shown himself yet.

Lauren- Tell him about the whole manipulating Tommy thing.

_Angela holds up a finger._

James (voice)- Okay, well, where do you want to start looking for intel.

Angela- I'm thinking the Whisperer kept track of those that are against him. If we can find those files, then we'll have a place to start.

James (voice)- Well, good luck getting into his office or lair or whatever. He'll have it heavily guarded.

Angela- We'll find a way.

James (voice)- Well, notify us if anything changes.

Angela- Will do.

_She puts the phone down._

Lauren- Why didn't you tell him about the Tommy stuff?

Angela- We don't even know if he'll be that easily manipulated. I wouldn't want to give them false information, would I? We'll test the waters with him, see how hard he is to crack.

Lauren- …fine. I have to get some air.

_She steps outside and pulls out her phone, texting James. It says, "She's up to something. I'm going to keep an eye on her." Angela pokes her head outside._

Angela- Hey Lauren, get in here.

_Lauren enters and sees that students are scattering out of the hallway_

Lauren- What's going on?

_They turn around and spot the Whisperer at the end of the hallway, flanked by Edward. He does a slow walk towards them as music swells. He stops right in front of Angela and smiles._

Angela- Hello, Whisperer.

Whisperer- Shall we begin?

_End episode._


	21. Rule the School S2E2

**Episode Two: Shadows on the Wall**

Synopsis: Angela and Lauren retrieve some information; James and Will investigate a new threat, and Charlotte and AJ seek information from Hannah

_We open on Tommy sitting down before a shadowy figure._

Tommy- The new kids seem nice, Whispy.

Whisperer- Don't call me that incessant nickname, Thomas. And these _intruders_ are a threat to us.

Tommy- Oh, you want us to kick them out?

Whisperer- No, no. Forrester has extended into our territory, but we're about to grab that branch and choke them out. They're surely trying to learn our weaknesses, but we'll learn theirs instead. And if they push too far, we can always just banish them.

Tommy- Woah, smart!

Whisperer- I know, right? Now, I need to teach you something. Stay seated.

_He puts his hand down on the table and Jade slithers off towards Tommy. Tommy looks terrified. He tries to stand up._

Whisperer- Sit back down, Tommy. Look at Jade.

_Tommy does so._

Whisperer- You're scared of her, aren't you?

_Tommy nods._

Whisperer- That's why you have to look at her. You have to face your fears in the eye before you're able to lead. Do you understand, Tommy?  


Tommy- Yes, Whisperer. And…

Whisperer- What?

Tommy- What do you do to face your fears?

_The Whisperer laughs._

Whisperer- Ah, but you don't understand. This method only works for those that _have_ fears, Tommy. Now, come. We have guests to keep an eye on.

_He beckons and both he and Tommy exit the room. We cut to Lauren and Angela meeting elsewhere in Woodsworth._

Angela- The Whisperer's office is heavily guarded. We need a plan to get inside and have enough time to find the files we need.

Lauren- Plus, he's smart enough to have security cameras.

Angela- We need someone to frame, someone that can destroy the cameras for us.

Lauren- We'll also need to photocopy the files, then put them back.

Angela- Good point.

Lauren- Or…

Angela- Or?

Lauren- We might not need someone else to destroy the cameras at all.

_Lauren whispers in Angela's ear and she smiles._

Angela- Yeeeeeessss.

_We cut to James and Will wearing headsets and gaming on their computers._

James- Get him, Will!

Will- I'm trying!

James- I'm dead! You let me die!

Will- I'm sorry, I'm sorry!

_Suddenly, they hear faint yelling. They take off their headsets and look to see Charlotte running from a group of students._

Charlotte- Open the door, quickly!

_They do so, and she rushes inside, quickly closing it._

James- What is going on?

Charlotte- I have no idea! One minute I'm walking down the hallway seeing if anything looks suspicious, the next I'm being chased by these clowns!

_The students bang on the window and Will quickly turns on the intercom._

Will- Umm… Constance, we have a situation in the upper offices. Please report immediately.

_Constance suddenly appears from outside backed up by Gabriel and Mr. Garcia, quickly dispatching the other students._

Charlotte- Wow, that was fast.

_They walk outside._

James- How did you get here so fast?

Constance- Just jogging by the area. What did these folks want with you?

Will- You know as much as us. We'll see if we can interrogate them.

Constance- Well, they should all be studying. Exam day is coming up soon.

James- Yeah, we're all going to have to excuse ourselves from those exams.

Constance- Of course you will.

AJ- Yes, we have important business to attend to.

_They turn to see AJ approaching._

Charlotte- AJ, what is it?

AJ- Is it possible that the attack on Charlotte was part of a plot by Woodsworth?

Will- Hmmm, you might be right.

James- Who else would dare to strike against us?

Will- Constance, wake up one of the students and interrogate them. See if this theory has any validity.

Constance- Will do.

_She grabs one of the students and hauls them away. Then we cut to the Whisperer walking and being talked to by two students._

Student 1- Please, you have to protect the students from the guards.

Student 2- They're doing whatever they want!

Whisperer- Afraid of guards, eh? That sounds like something a traitor would say.

Student 1- What? We would never-

Whisperer- I know, whatever, just a bit of friendly humor. If you have a problem, take it up with Tommy. He's in charge, after all. I'm just an advisor.

Student 2- But you-

Whisperer- Look, this is me telling you I don't care, so bye.

_Edward suddenly appears from around the corner and growls at the two students. They run off, but are pulled to the side by Angela and Lauren._

Student 2- Ah! Who are you people?

Angela- Chill, we're on the same side as you.

Lauren- What are your names?

Student 1- I'm Jerry.

Student 2- And I'm Mark.

Lauren- We think you can help us with something… something that will help take the Whisperer down.

Mark- I'm listening.

Angela- So, here's the plan.

_We see the plan play out as Angela voices over._

Angela (voiceover)- First, Lauren sneaks into the vents of the school and takes out the cameras in the Whisperer's office.

_We see Lauren crawling through the vents and seeing an office. She observes the cameras for a moment from the ceiling, then pokes her hand out of the vent and fires several paintballs, hitting the cameras and obscuring their view._

Lauren (voiceover)- All they'll see is a dark blur before the cameras get taken out.

Angela (voiceover)- Then, we recover the file we need.

_We see Lauren looking through multiple different folders._

Lauren (muttering)- Allies, no. Pictures of avocados, no. Ah, enemies and threats! There we are.

_She grabs the folder and jumps back up, pulling herself back into the vent. Then we cut to someone monitoring the cameras, asleep. They yawn and wake up, looking at the cameras, but are shocked to see some are blacked out. He grabs a walkie talkie._

Monitor- Whisperer, come in. We have a problem!

_We see Lauren arriving through another vent, where Angela and Mark are waiting. Lauren hands her the file, and Angela quickly runs away. Then, Lauren hands her pistol to Mark._

Lauren- Here, take this. Use it if we have an emergency.

_Lauren whispers something in his ear._

Mark- You got it.

_They turn around to see the Whisperer, Tommy, and Edward walking urgently down the hallway. Mark skulks off and Lauren approaches them._

Lauren- Hey, what's going on.

_The Whisperer looks at her suspiciously._

Whisperer- Disturbances in my office. There may have been an intruder.

Lauren- Hold on here; I'll scout ahead and make sure no one's waiting for you.

Whisperer- As if! Stand aside.

_They continue walking, but Lauren keeps following them, continuously talking._

Lauren- I think I saw someone suspicious walking that way- there he goes!

_We see Mark following them from a distance. Then we cut to Angela placing a page on the copier with Jerry at her side._

Angela- This is the only page we need.

_She also picks up her phone. We cut back to Lauren and the Whisperer._

Lauren- Uh, Whisperer? This isn't the way to your office.

Whisperer- I know. We're going to the printer room.

_Lauren's eyes go wide as they turn the corner and see a closed door._

Lauren- Whisperer, I've been trying to tell you this whole time. I think I know who did this. Someone stole my gun and- watch out!

_The Whisperer is hit by a paintball from behind as Mark runs at them, tackling the Whisperer. We cut to Angela hearing the fuss._

Angela- Well, they're here sooner than expected. It's going to look very suspicious if they find us in here… unless.

_We see Mark duck under Edward's arm, but he is kicked in the face by Lauren._

Mark- Ow! This wasn't part of the-

Lauren- Whisperer, are you alright.

_He stands up._

Whisperer- Fine, fine. But I know you and Angela had something to do with this-

Mark- They did, they did!

_Suddenly, the door opens and Angela exits pinning Jerry's arms behind his back._

Angela- Help me with this guy! I was reapplying my makeup when he walked by suspiciously. I followed him and found him copying classified information.

Jerry- What? That's what this was for?

_Lauren quickly catches on._

Lauren- Um, shut your mouth, traitor. Don’t try to implicate us!

_Edward grabs Jerry and Mark and slings them over his shoulders. Angela hands the Whisperer the folder and he looks it through. Then she hands him the copy of the page._

Whisperer- How do I know this was the only copy of the page that was made?

Angela- You can go ahead and check the printer's history. It's clean.

Whisperer- Edward, search her.

_Edward drops Jerry and Mark onto the floor and grabs Angela's purse, searching through it. Angela unlocks her phone and hands it to the Whisperer, then allows herself to be patted down by Edward._

Whisperer- Hmm… nothing.

Mark- Wait! She could have read it and memorized some of it!

Whisperer- I think not. The page is written in a cipher that would take at least an hour to decode. Edward, take them away. I'll be back later to interrogate them.

Lauren- So, can we go now?

Whisperer- For now. I'll be seeing you after I've interrogated these fellows and have a reason to throw you out. I can't risk you staying around here any longer.

Tommy- Goodbye!

Angela- Goodbye, Tommy. I'll see you around.

_Angela and Lauren walk away._

Lauren- Wait, so how did we get the file?

Angela- Check your phone.

_Lauren does so._

Lauren- You sent it to me. But… they searched your phone.

Angela- I sent it to you then deleted it off of my phone. Genius, I know.

Lauren- You saved our butts… thanks.

Angela- Thanks? From you, Lauren? I'm shocked.

_Lauren lets a laugh slip, causing Angela to tense up._

Angela- What's so funny?

Lauren- You are.

_Angela calms down._

Angela- Sorry… I'm just not used to people laughing _with_ me.

Lauren- Let's send this to James and the rest. They should be able to decode it.

_We cut to AJ looking from side to side as he walks suspiciously through the school, holding a large covered platter. He reaches a room and opens it with a keycard, walking in to see Hannah._

Hannah- He returns. Do you have what I asked for?

AJ- Yes, yes. Here you go.

_He takes off the cover to reveal a hot meal and a makeup kit._

Hannah- Great. Now, untie my hand.

AJ- I don’t know… you're supposed to have one hand tied when you're unsupervised.

Hannah- Fine then. Open the makeup kit and hold up that mirror.

_AJ does so and Hannah starts to apply her makeup with one hand._

AJ- Now, you have to give me what you promised.

Hannah- Of course… Sterling had no other plans for this school, and I can't tell you anything about the Whisperer's plan.

_AJ pauses for a second, then sighs and stands up._

AJ- I don't know what I was expecting. I was stupid to trust you.

_Hannah moves the mirror aside and looks at him, feeling sorry for him._

Hannah- Wait!

_AJ turns around._

Hannah- I _can_ tell you this. If you go against the Whisperer, you will all lose. He's too smart for any of you. I promise you, that's all I know.

_AJ gives a wry smile._

AJ- Thanks for trying, Hannah.

Hannah- That's all I know, I swear.

AJ- But what about the students that attacked Charlotte?

Hannah- The what now? I don't know anything about that.

AJ- But then who could be behind it?

Hannah- I don't know, AJ. But maybe I could help you figure it out.

_AJ considers it for a second._

AJ- I'm sorry, but no. You're still a prisoner, and I have no way of knowing if you're telling the truth.

Hannah- Pretty please?

_AJ imitates her voice._

AJ- Pretty please?

_Hannah is shocked for a second, then laughs._

Hannah- You're funny, AJ. You know that?

AJ- Yes, well, being funny hasn't been of much use to me.

Hannah- I don't know. It makes you tolerable, unlike those squares James and Will.

_AJ finds himself laughing._

Hannah- Laughing at me, insulting your leaders? Would that count as… treason?

_They both laugh, but Hannah quickly collects herself and becomes cold._

Hannah- You should go now.

AJ- What?

Hannah- I've given you what you want, now go!

AJ- Okay, okay… enjoy the meal. I'll come back to pick it up later.

_Hannah barely smiles as AJ exits the room. AJ walks for a while down the hallway before being approached by Charlotte._

Charlotte- AJ, there you are. Come on, Constance has finished interrogating them.

_We cut to them arriving in a room, where James pulls Charlotte aside._

James- Charlotte, I have a job for you. Lauren's sent us some information she and Angela recovered- I need you to decode it. I made a list of people with skills that could help you out. We need it ASAP.

Charlotte- Will do.

James- AJ, come over here. We have disturbing news.

_He and AJ walk over to meet Will and Constance._

Constance- It looks like you were right, AJ. The attacker I interrogated admitted he was working for Woodsworth.

AJ- What? But-

Will- Constance, did he say if he was working for Sterling or the Whisperer?

Constance- He didn't specify.

James- Hmm… interesting. Now it's time to test your loyalty, Constance.

Constance- What?

Will- Did you really think we would trust the information you give us. Let's see if you're telling the truth.

_He pulls out a tablet and pulls up security footage of Constance interrogating the boy._

Constance (video)- You're going to answer some question for me.

Boy (video)- What? Who are you? What the heck is going on?

Constance (video)- Why did you attack James and Will?

_The boy starts speaking very monotonously._

Boy (video)- I was sent here as a mole by Woodsworth to take them down.

_The footage ends._

Constance- There you are.

James- Well done, Constance. You've proved yourself loyal.

AJ- But-

Will- What, AJ?

_AJ falls quiet._

AJ- Nothing.

James- Alright, then. Constance, interrogate Hannah for information… and don't go easy on her.

Constance- Oh, I won't, you can be sure of that.

_They all leave the room, leaving AJ behind looking sad. We cut to Angela and Lauren walking down a hallway at Woodsworth. They are approached by Edward and a girl._

Girl- Angela Farrenburr and Lauren Lee?

Angela- That's us.

Girl- You have been called to stand trial for treason before the Whisperer.

_Angela and Lauren look at each other and try to run away before they are restrained by Edward._

Lauren- I hope you have a plan, Angela.

Angela- I'm formulating, just give me some time.

_We cut to them locked in a room, sitting on a bench. Angela is staring into space._

Lauren- Well, at least if we get out of this, we're done here.

Angela- I mean…

Lauren- What?

Angela- We could do more.

Lauren- I don't like what I'm hearing, Angela.

Angela- I'm just saying, what's going to happen when we go back? We'll go right back to being under James and Will's thumb.

Lauren- I'm sorry that's the way you see it, Angela. They care about us.

Angela- I'm glad _you_ feel that way. They just think I'm incompetent, someone to do whatever they want.

Lauren- Angela, that's not true.

Angela- I need to show them that I'm capable, Lauren! Don't you understand?

Lauren- Of course I do, Angela, but… I can't trust that you don't have your own agenda.

_Angela falls silent and the door opens. The girl from earlier walks in._

Girl- They're ready for you.

_We cut to them sitting in front of the Whisperer, backed up by Edward and Tommy._

Whisperer- I accuse both of you of plotting to remove me from power. Witnesses, please step forward.

_Mark and Jerry step up._

Mark- I heard it right from their mouths. They said that they were looking for information on you so they could send it back to their Forrester buddies.

Jerry- Then they made us steal that file!

Whisperer- There you have it, everyone. Case closed.

Lauren- Hold on! You're going to believe the word of two people you just caught stealing valuable information. Clearly, they're just trying to implicate us! I mean, you searched us and you didn't find anything.

_Angela looks deep in thought. The Whisperer rolls his eyes._

Whisperer- Don't try to pretend that you're up to something. Evidence or no evidence, you're leaving this school this instant! Unless anyone else has an objection?

_The room is silent, until Angela pipes up._

Angela- What does our leader think?

Whisperer- Excuse me?

Angela- What does Tommy, you know, the _one in charge_ , have to say?

Whisperer- I speak for him.

Voice from Crowd- He can speak for himself!

_Tommy steps forward, the Whisperer glaring at him._

Angela- Tommy, I beg you not to let your judgement be clouded by your _wonderful_ advisor, but to look at the facts of this situation. Mark and Jerry were found with the file and a gun that could have been used in the crime. Don't let them drag us down with them! The printer's history shows only one copy was made, and it was also found with them.

_Tommy hesitates, then looks back and forth between the Whisperer and Angela._

Tommy- I…I…

Voice from Crowd- Is he our leader or not?!

Tommy- They can go!

_The crowd cheers. The Whisperer is fuming and grabs Tommy, pulling him out the door. Angela looks at Lauren and smiles._

Angela- All part of the plan, Lauren.

Lauren- Really?  


Angela- Let's just pretend it was.

_We cut to them walking through the hallway. Angela checks her phone._

Angela- It looks like they got that file decoded for us. Now we can see what we can do with this…

Lauren- Angela… I need to get some air.

_She goes outside and pulls out her phone, dialing a number._

Will (phone)- Hey, Lauren, well done on retrieving the information. I trust you were able to get out safe.

Lauren- Well, we had some hiccups, but we got out alright. But-

Will (phone)- Excellent. Return to Forrester, and we'll send others over to finish the job and install me as Woodsworth's leader.

Lauren- You? But-

Will (phone)- How could I live without James at my side? It'll be hard, but we've promised to call each other every day.

Lauren- Actually… I was thinking that you could put Angela in charge here.

Will (phone)- Angela? No offense to her, but are you trying to make me laugh.

Lauren- I'm serious. She's proven herself to be smart, resourceful, and ambitious while we've been here. I think she'd be capable.

_Suddenly, Will turns cold._

Will (phone)- Just get back to Forrester, Lauren. We don't have time for this.

_The phone hangs up and Lauren walks back inside._

Angela- How was the call?

Lauren- W-what call?

Angela- Oh, don't play dumb. You're not exactly subtle.

Lauren- They're sending Will over to rule after we return.

Angela- Sure… _when_ we return.

Lauren- Angela, don't.

Angela- If I return now, nothing will change! But if I seek out one of the groups on _this_ file and organize them _for_ James and Will, I'll earn their respect!

Lauren- I want to help you, but I can't risk you using this to seize power for yourself.

_Angela sighs. Lauren thinks for a second, then groans._

Lauren- Fine!

Angela- What? You'll help me?

Lauren- Someone needs to keep an eye on you.

_Lauren marches up to Angela._

Lauren- But mark my words, if you betray our cause, then I'll take you out without hesitation.

Angela- I understand.

Lauren- Like, I'll beat you to a pulp, drag you up the stairs, make myself some nice tea, drink it, and then I'll-

Angela- Enough! I get it.

Lauren- Good. Then let's proceed.

_She pulls out her phone and texts Will "Difficulties have arisen. We're going to be here for a little while longer"_

_End episode._


	22. Rule the School S2E3

**Episode Three: The Caring Student Initiative**

Synopsis: Angela and Lauren find new allies, and AJ tries to understand Hannah.

_We open on James and Will sitting in the morning outside a restaurant, with a vase with a rose in the middle, eating a single bowl of spaghetti._

Will- Do you ever think that we're a little too hard on AJ?

James- I know he's our friend, but if he's going to be one of Forrester's leaders, he has to start acting like one.

Will- I know, but-

James- Look, Will, we didn't come to lunch to talk about AJ.

_Will leans forward, placing his head on his hands._

Will- So what do _you_ want to talk about, James?

_James flushes, but tries to compose himself._

James- I-I… I'm hungry.

_He twists his fork around a piece of spaghetti and starts to eat it, but notices one of the pieces of spaghetti go taut. He looks up and sees Will with the piece of spaghetti in his mouth. James bites off the spaghetti and pulls away._

James- What are you doing?!

_Will giggles._

Will- You're adorable when you're flustered.

James- I'm a leader, an icon! I don't get _flustered._ You're just really good at getting under my skin.

Will- Oh? Am I now? You shouldn't admit that I have so much _power_ over you.

_James looks shocked, then starts to laugh._

James- Remember when you arrived at Forrester?

Will- Oh, yes. You were quite the little politician back then.

James- You were so charming back then…

Will- Back then? What happened?

_James flushes and smiles._

James- You've only gotten more so over time.

_Will blushes, and James points in victory._

James- I did it! I made Will Cross blush!

Will- Oh, shut up.

_They smile at each other, then James' phone rings. He picks it up, holding a finger up at Will, who is raising his eyebrows at James._

James- Hi, Constance, what's going on.

_The waitress walks over._

Waitress- Can I get you anything else?

Will- Um, yes, we'd like the gâteau d'amour, please.

James (whispering)- Will, no, we might have to leave.

Waitress- Right away, amoureux. And can I just say that you're welcome here anytime. The kitchen staff thinks you two are trés mignon. Hon hon hon!

James- Oh, you've finished the interrogation? We'll be there right away. Call AJ and inform him of the situation.

_He hangs up the phone._

James- Fine, Will, you win. Cake, and then we leave.

_Will grins._

Will- Yay me.

_We cut to the Whisperer pacing back and forth in a room in front of Tommy._

Whisperer- Humiliated! Undermined! _Disobeyed_! How _dare_ you, Tommy!?

Tommy- I'm sorry… the evidence was in their favor!

Whisperer- It doesn't matter, Tommy! You have the power in this school, and by proxy, _I_ have the power in this school! We can make whatever decision we want!

Tommy- I… I made the decision I wanted to.

_The Whisperer wheels around, backing Tommy against the wall._

Whisperer- What did you just say?

Tommy- N-nothing!

Whisperer- Never forget, you would be nothing if it wasn't for me! You need me, Tommy!

Tommy- I'm sorry, I'm sorry!

Whisperer- But you're right on one point. We need at least some reason to get them out of here, or they'll think you're weak for going back on your word.

Tommy- So what do we do?

Whisperer- _You_ don't do anything. I'll go find them. They found the list of my enemies… I just know it, even if I can't prove it. I'll observe whatever they do and stop it.

Tommy- Alrighty then, good luck.

Whisperer- Whatever, thanks. I really need to get a babysitter for you.

_We cut to Lauren and Angela observing Lauren's phone._

Angela- Hm... this is a pretty small list

Lauren- Jeez, what did the Spirit Club do to get on the Whisperer's bad side?

_Angela shudders_

Angela- Trust me, spirit clubs are _everyone's_ enemy.

_She sees something and her eyes narrow._

Angela- What about this one?

Lauren- The Caring Student Initiative? Why them?

Angela- Just a feeling. I'm thinking there might be a way we can use them...

Lauren- Then let's do it. I just hope I can punch something along the way.

_We cut to James and Will arriving in a room already containing Constance and AJ._

Constance- Ah, welcome back. What took you so long?

James- Something very important came u-

Will- We had cake.

_James shoots Will an angry look._

James- _Anyway,_ did you get anything from the interrogation?

Constance- I'm sorry to report that I did not. Even _my_ methods couldn't get anything out of her.

AJ- What did you... do to her?

Constance- Not enough, clearly.

_AJ eyes her nervously._

Will- Well, the attackers admitted themselves to working for Woodsworth, so she must know something about it. Try some different tactics, Constance.

_Constance nods._

Constance- Of course. Also, I-

_Suddenly, a student runs in._

Student- James, Will! A group of students have trapped a bunch of people in the gym!

James- Could this be another attack?

Will- Come on, Constance!

_They exit, leaving AJ behind. We see the gears in his head spinning for a second, then he exits the room. Then we cut to Angela and Lauren opening a door with a poster on it reading "The Caring Student Initiative." A small group of people are inside the room, including one person who seems to be the leader (Phillip). They all stop talking as the girls enter and turn around. Phillip approaches them._

Phillip- And how can I help you ladies.

Lauren- We need-

_Angela holds a hand in front of Lauren._

Angela- The real question is, how can _we_ help _you_?

Phillip- Hm. Come with me.

_He leads them into a smaller side room._

Phillip- My name is Phillip, and I'm kind of the boss around these parts.

Lauren- Not anymore.

_Angela gives Lauren an aggressive side-eye_

Angela- _Pleased to meet you_ , Phillip.

Phillip- I gotta say, your friend's attitude is quite disturbing. We don’t really believe in that sort of aggressive language around these parts.

Angela- Actually, that's why I'm here. I just _love_ what you've got going on here. You know, being… what's the word?

Phillip- Nice?

Angela- There it is! Anyway, I'm new here, so I just wanted to check in with you and see what this was all about.

_Phillip narrows his eyes, then shrugs and stands up excitedly._

Phillip- Oh, I would be _so_ pleased to assist! Let me show you around!

_He walks them back to the main room._

Phillip- I took this club over two years ago, and I've really elevated us to a whole new level.

_Angela looks around the sad, almost empty room._

Angela- Uh-huh.

Phillip- I know it may not look like much, but we've got tons of activities here. This is where we keep track of school events so we can go and support Woodsworth. This is where we make friendship bracelets to give out to other students. And this… is our Bully Board.

_He points to a dartboard with various pictures pinned on._

Phillip- This is where we keep tabs on those people that we think are really hurting our school's fun and caring environment.

_This seems to perk Lauren up._

Lauren- And then you take them down?

Phillip- Well, we don't exactly have the manpower to do that.

Angela- And you see, Phillip, that's the problem.

Phillip- What?

Angela- Your goals are noble, but you don't have the power to make a difference. I think I can help you with that.

Phillip- What do you have in mind?

_Angela looks at Lauren and smiles. Then we cut to AJ entering Hannah's cell. She looks up, and she is disheveled with shaking hands. She sees him and quickly tries to fix herself up._

Hannah- W-what are you doing here?

AJ- Um… what… what-

_Hannah manages a smile._

Hannah- What happened to me? Constance, that's what. That woman does not mess around.

AJ- Well, I can't imagine it would have been better if Lauren were here.

_Hannah giggles a bit._

Hannah- I suppose you're right. That girl is a certified psycho. And also, thanks for letting me know she's not here right now.

_AJ flushes. Hannah laughs._

Hannah- I figured as much, anyway. Lauren would never let someone else have all the fun interrogating me.

AJ- Are you… okay?

Hannah- I'll be fine, but I could use some more of that makeup later.

AJ- Sure, I probably have some lying around- wait, no! You'll have to give me some more information if you want that makeup.

Hannah- Very smart, but I'm a little more curious why you have makeup lying around.

AJ- That's… that's not what we're talking about.

Hannah- Oh, alright. I bet you look _very_ dashing in it.

_AJ pulls out his phone and shows it to her._

AJ- You really think so? It's just some basic work, but-

Hannah- Oh, I didn't actually want to… hm. Not bad. But, you completely suffocated yourself in foundation. Your natural skin tone is so much better.

AJ- Oh, um, yeah. You're probably right.

Hannah- You have potential, but maybe if you could just let me apply some on you sometime.

AJ- Really? Well… wait, no! No, no, no, no! You're not gonna trick me again.

Hannah- Always worth a shot.

_They both chuckle._

AJ- So you really don't know anything about these attacks?

_Hannah's eyes dance back and forth._

Hannah- If I did know anything, I wouldn't tell you.

AJ- Still loyal to Woodsworth?

Hannah- No, nothing of the sort. I just don't trust Constance. I saw a look in her eyes while she was interrogating me. She knows more than she lets on, and I'm not sure she's on your side.

AJ- Why do you care? You're not on our side either.

Hannah- Who knows. Maybe I'm trying to make a friend and do you guys a solid. Maybe I'm not a rat who sells out to the first person that gives me a bruise. Maybe there are some people at this school I trust more than others.

AJ- What do you mean?

_Hannah purses her lips and sits back._

Hannah- Come back and see me again sometime. Preferably when I'm looking my best and not right after I've been interrogated.

AJ- Hold on, Hannah. I don't think we're done here. What did you mean by that?

_She is silent, and eventually AJ gets up and leaves. As soon as he shuts the door, he is confronted by James, Will, Charlotte, and Constance._

James- Well, look who we found.

AJ- Guys, hey, I was just-

Will- Talking with a dangerous prisoner unsupervised and without permission?

AJ- Yeah, pretty much.

Charlotte- We heard the whole thing.

AJ- What? How?

Constance- We have cameras, AJ.

AJ- Oh, right.

James- You realize what you could have done? She could have escaped while you opened the door.

AJ- No way! How would she get past me?

_Everyone else looks at each other, then back at AJ. He deflates._

Will- However, she seems to trust you more than the rest of us.

Charlotte- I can't possibly understand why! I think I'm a very friendly and appealing person, don't you? Why would she like _you_ over me? No offense, AJ.

AJ- Ooh, someone's getting heated. Why do you care how appealing you are to Hannah? I don't have to tell Lauren, do I?

_Charlotte rolls her eyes._

James- Charlotte, I think we can all agree that you can be a little scary. AJ is soft, unassuming, unthreatening.

AJ- Hey!

James- And that's your greatest weapon.

AJ- Okay, but why does any of this matter in the first place?

Will- Because we're going to make use of that weapon.

_We cut to the Whisperer entering the CSI's room, looking around disdainfully. Phillip approaches._

Phillip- Wh-whisperer. We weren't expecting you.

Whisperer- Rarely anyone does.

Phillip- Well, I could get you some tea or coffee if you prefer.

Whisperer- That won't be necessary. I'm here to discuss business.

Phillip- Oh, we really don't require help from-

Whisperer- Quiet, please. Your organization right now is quite pathetic, and though I understand you've received a visit from our Forrester friends, I can offer you a better deal.

Phillip- A visit? I have no idea what you're talking about.

Whisperer- There's a reason you're not head of the acting club, Phillip. But, all will be forgiven if you just accept my offer instead of theirs.

Phillip- I'm listening.

Whisperer- All I want you to do is let me give the Caring Student Initiative more power than any club in the school.

Phillip- But… why would you do that?

Whisperer- Let's say that there are some troublemakers that are _really_ bringing our school's whole vibe down, or whatever it is you people say.

Phillip- Troublemakers? That does sound awful.

Whisperer- Then we have a deal?

Phillip- I believe we do. Pleasure doing business with you. Now can I interest you in that tea?

Whisperer- Sure, why not? Of course, I'll need someone to taste test my tea, and Jade requires her own teacup.

_We pan out and see Angela and Lauren listening from around the corner. Angela turns to Lauren and smiles._

_End episode._


	23. Rule the School S2E4

**Episode Four: Interrogation**

Synopsis: James and Will utilize AJ's unique skillset, the Whisperer enacts some new policies, and Angela spends some time with Tommy.

_We open with James, Will, Charlotte, and Constance sitting across from AJ at a table._

AJ (nervously)- So… those sports games, huh?

Charlotte- Enough, AJ.

AJ- Alright…

James- Well done, AJ. It appears you've developed a bit of a rapport with our prisoner.

_AJ eyes Constance._

AJ- I don't know what you're talking about.

Will- Really, AJ. You would put some _Woodsworth_ girl over your friends?

_AJ looks at Constance again, and she is smiling._

AJ- I…I…I

James- It doesn't matter though. We'll put you to use.

AJ- What do you mean?

Will- Hannah seems to trust you. You're more likely to get something out of her than any of us.

AJ- But-

Constance- No buts, AJ. We'll prep you in twenty minutes so you can ask some _useful_ questions for once.

AJ (defeated)- Alright then.

Charlotte- Excellent.

_We see her walk outside and pull out her phone, calling someone. Then we cut to Lauren picking it up._

Lauren- What's up, Char?

Charlotte- How long are you and Angela going to be, Lauren?

_Lauren sighs._

Lauren- I don't know. There's still work to be done.

Charlotte- I thought you two already got the information. Is Angela up to something?

Lauren- Don't worry about Angela. I'm keeping an eye on her. It won't be long until I'm back, I promise.

_Charlotte huffs._

Charlotte- You better be back by Friday. They're premiering _Ninja Vampire Lovers_ at the theater.

Lauren- You think I would miss that? I'll see you.

Charlotte- See you.

_Lauren puts her phone back into her pocket. We see that she is sitting next to Angela and examining a list on her phone._

Angela- Ugh, Lauren, I don't think we need to look through the list of enemies anymore. This Caring Student Initiative thing seems like it's going to work out well.

Lauren- I'm just browsing our options. Apparently the Whisperer's got some beef with the drama club, and… what the heck is the Holy Faith of Borghildr Dilay?

Angela- I appreciate the effort, but I need your help on this.

Lauren- Fine. What is it?

Angela- I have some representatives from the CSI that are meeting with the Woodsworth army. I want you to go with them.

Lauren- What are we doing meeting with the army?

Angela- We're trying to get the CSI some military power.

Lauren- You sure Phillip will be okay with that? He seems like he's all about being nice and junk.

Angela- Well… I'm having a discussion with him today about that. I'm sure I can convince him.

Lauren- You're sending me out before he's agreed to it?

Angela- I'm trying to get things done quickly, okay!

Lauren- And the Whisperer?

Angela- Don't you worry about the Whisperer.

Lauren- Don't underestimate him, Angela.

Angela- He'll be dealt with in due time. I'm meeting with Tommy later as well.

Lauren- Ugh. Between you and the Whisperer, that kid's getting torn to pieces.

Angela- Empathy isn't a good look for you, Lauren. Tommy is a means to an end.

Lauren- Whatever you say, Angela.

_Angela giggles._

Angela- _Whatever you say_ … I like the sound of that.

_Lauren chuckles and rolls her eyes._

Lauren- Don't get too carried away.

Angela- I would _never_.

_They both laugh._

Lauren- See you later.

Angela- Ta-ta!

_They head off in their separate directions. We cut to the Whisperer and Tommy receiving joint back massages from Edward._

Tommy- Oh, by the way, Whisperer, I'm going to dinner with Angela later.

Whisperer- I know.

Tommy- And?

Whisperer- There's no 'and.'

Tommy- But-

Whisperer- But you thought your little act of rebellion would anger me?

Tommy- A little, yeah.

Whisperer- Ah, you children do love the sweet taste of disobedience, don't you?

Tommy- Aren't you a child?

Whisperer- Moving on! Yes, you can have your little dinner. It won't interfere with my plans.

Tommy- Um…

Whisperer- Ugh. I think we're done here. Edward, a dignified exit, please.

_Edward picks up the Whisperer and piggybacks him out. We cut to Angela finishing speaking with Phillip._

Phillip- I understand. If we want to bring friendship to this school, we may have to use some force.

Angela- Oh, I knew you'd see reason, Phillip. Thanks a million! I'll be in touch.

_She runs off, and a shadow looms behind Phillip. He turns to see the Whisperer struggling to dismount from Edward._

Whisperer- Come on! That's it- no!

_He falls rather unceremoniously to the ground, and quickly gets up and adjusts his cape._

Phillip- Good to see you, Whisperer.

Whisperer- Yes, yes, yes. What were you speaking about with her?

Phillip- Just discussing our plans to integrate the CSI into Woodsworth's army.

_The Whisperer raises an eyebrow._

Whisperer- Oh, how interesting. That will give you the perfect tools to deal with the _troublemakers_ of our school.

Phillip- Yes… I imagine it will.

Whisperer- Just don't forget who let you be elevated you to this point, Phillip. I see this partnership going a long way.

Phillip- As long as you give us the resources we need, we'll take down anyone making Woodsworth unhappy.

_We cut to Lauren arriving with a group of CSI in the gym, where the Woodsworth army is training._

Lauren- Hey!

_They all turn to look at her._

Lauren- I brought some new recruits.

_The army looks skeptically at the scrawny CSI kids. A large boy gets up and approaches Lauren._

Xavier- Lauren Lee?

_She nods slowly. He glares at her, then drops the façade, smiling broadly._

Xavier- Oh my god! You're a legend! I can't believe I'm meeting you!

_Lauren seems confused._

Lauren- Oh, um, wow.

Xavier- You're our idol over here! What you did over at Forrester and over here, it's inspirational!

Guard 1- Incredible!

Guard 2- Impossible!

Xavier- Hold on.

_He snaps a selfie with Lauren, then steps back excitedly._

Lauren- Um, okay then. So you'll accept these recruits?

Xavier- Oh, no. You'll have to prove yourselves worthy. It's sort of a tradition around here.

Lauren- Oh, no. I have express permission.

Xavier- Then I guess I should call the Whisperer to make sure.

_Lauren sighs._

Lauren- Fine then. Let's rumble.

_Xavier squeals._

Xavier- Ah! I'm going to fight Lauren Lee!

_Xavier and three other guards get up and run at Lauren and the CSI kids. Lauren immediately picks up one of the scrawnier kids and throws him at them, causing them to scatter. One CSI kid is immediately knocked to the ground, and Lauren grabs him to use as a human shield against Xavier's advances, causing him to take quite the beating. Lauren throws the kid onto Xavier to slow him down, then turns around to see the last CSI kid running from a guard towards her. Lauren grabs her arms and spins her around to strike the guard, knocking him down. Lauren continues, taking down the other two guards before dropping the girl. Xavier gets up behind Lauren, and she sighs, taking off one of the CSI girl's heels and putting it on her own foot. She approaches Xavier. They stare at each other for a second before Lauren slams the heel into Xavier's foot._

Xavier- OOOOOOWWW!!!

_He hops around before falling down._

Xavier- Fine! They're in the army! Oh my god, you're cruel!

_Lauren smiles._

Lauren- Glad we could come to an agreement.

_We cut to Angela and Tommy in the same French restaurant that James and Will were at in Episode Three. A waiter takes their order._

Waiter- And what can I get you two?

Angela- I'll have the lobster bisque with some water.

Tommy- And I'll have the kiddy-sized tomato soup.

Waiter- Right away. Vite, vite!

Angela- And can I just ask what that picture is doing over there?

_We see a picture of a heart with James and Will's faces pasted on it._

Waiter- Oh, those two are favorites of le personnel. Ils sont le but de couple, am I right?

Angela- Absolument.

_Ethan walks away._

Angela- So, how have things been as leader of Woodsworth?

Tommy- Um, fine, I guess. Mostly I just do what the Whisperer says.

Angela- That doesn't sound like something a leader would do!

Tommy- Well…

Angela- Woodsworth proclaimed you as their leader, not the Whisperer.

_She smiles._

Angela- You're the person I defeated Sterling to put in power.

Tommy- I know, he's just my advisor, but-

Angela- And if you ask me, you need to put him in his place.

Tommy- I don’t know…

_Angela ponders._

Angela- Anyway, there's a surprise I wanted to tell you about.

Tommy- Ooh, I love surprises!

Angela- I looked into your background, and I saw that you were once part of a club called the Caring Student Initiative.

Tommy- Yeah, it was so much fun! But then the Whisperer found me, and from there-

Angela- Anyway, I'm sure you miss your friends in the club, so I helped you out by raising their position in the school! Now they'll be right by your side!

Tommy- You… gave them power?

Angela- Of course, Tommy, exactly like you wanted!

Tommy- I…wanted. Yes, of course.

Angela- Great! I'm so excited! I think that together, we can really make this school a friendlier place for everyone!

Tommy- Wait… the Whisperer hates the CSI. He'll never want them in power.

Angela- But what do _you_ want, Tommy?

Tommy- I…

Angela- If you always let the Whisperer have his way, then he'll be ruling this school forever… and what happens when he doesn't need you anymore?

_Pause._

Tommy- It… it doesn't matter what the Whisperer thinks about this.

_Angela smiles._

Angela- Exactly.

_We cut to AJ entering Hannah's room. We see her light up when he enters._

Hannah- AJ, you're back!

_AJ looks nervously at the back wall, where a hidden camera can barely be seen._

AJ- Hannah… how are you?

Hannah- Better now that I haven't had to deal with Constance. Guess she gave up on trying to get stuff out of me!

_AJ sits down. We see James, Will, Charlotte and Constance, in another room speaking into a tiny earpiece in AJ's ear._

James- Ease her in. Make her let her guard down.

AJ- How's…uh… imprisonment?

Hannah- I suppose it could be worse. Sterling had far worse conditions for his prisoners.

AJ- Speaking of Sterling-

Hannah- Let's not.

AJ- Let's not what?

Hannah- Speak of Sterling.

Charlotte (offscreen)- There's something there, AJ. Press her!

AJ- What was he like? Around you, I mean?

_Hannah's eyes widen and she folds into herself._

Will (offscreen)- Oh, we've definitely hit a sore spot. Time to move in for the kill.

_AJ gets up and walks over to her, placing a hand on her shoulder._

AJ- Look… if there's anything Sterling had planned that could get us hurt… then I want to know.

Hannah- Why should I tell you?

AJ- Because you have no reason not to! And… that's what friends do.

_Hannah falls silent for a moment._

Hannah- Turn off the camera.

AJ- What?

Hannah- I know there's a camera in here somewhere. James and Will aren't _that_ dumb.

_AJ thinks it over, then goes and presses a button, deactivating the camera. We cut to the observation room._

Constance- What! He can't do that!

Will- We still have the earpiece, Constance. Don't worry, let him take this.

Constance- We don't have time for him to take this slow! There was another attack on the cafeteria today!

Charlotte- We'll interrogate them later, now shush!

_We cut back to AJ and Hannah. She takes a deep breath_.

Hannah- Okay…um…Sterling…

_AJ fidgets nervously as we see Constance leaning over the observation screen._

Hannah- Sterling had a-

_AJ quickly grabs her hand under the table and squeezes it hard._

Hannah- Ow!!!

AJ- Oh, no, Hannah, your chair _fell down_!

Hannah- What? I-

_AJ points furiously at his ear._

AJ- No, no, _don't say a thing_! I'll help you.

_Hannah's eyes widen as she realized. They wait a while before resuming._

AJ- So now you can tell-

Hannah- No! I won't tell you anything! Get away!

_AJ sighs and presses on the earpiece._

AJ- I'm not getting through, guys, pull me out.

_We cut to the observation room._

James- Ugh, fine. We'll try again another time.

Charlotte- I really thought you were getting through.

_Constance clenches her teeth_.

Constance- A shame… I was really hoping to get a lead I could investigate

Will- Get out of there, AJ.

_AJ looks at Hannah as he leaves and offers a smile, but she has a grim look on her face. Then we cut to the Woodsworth courtyard at night, where Angela walks up to Lauren, who is waiting. Angela looks down at Lauren's feet._

Angela- You're wearing heels.

Lauren- I have my reasons. I completed my mission. You?

Angela- 'Mission' is such a simple word. I've started a process.

_Lauren rolls her eyes_

Angela- Oh, Lauren, isn't this fun. Aren't you excited to see where this goes?

Lauren- This job suits you, doesn't it?

Angela- Oh, yes! I feel like a beautiful flower blossoming into my own!

_Lauren snickers._

Angela- Sleepover at my place tonight?

Lauren- Sure, as long as you don't try and discuss _strategy_.

_Angela pouts._

Angela- You're no fun.

_They walk off._

_End episode._


	24. Rule the School S2E5

**Episode Five: Tommy's Plight**

Synopsis: AJ and Hannah go on a stealth mission, and Angela and Tommy bring about some changes at Woodsworth.

_We open on James and Will at an Italian restaurant sharing a large bowl of risotto._

James- A shame that AJ couldn't get anything out of Hannah…

Will- Well, there's no point in worrying about it now.

James- I just can't help but feel like something was off…

Will- Oh, get those politics out of your mind.

James- Oh, fine. This place is beautiful. Look at the view.

_James gestures to the countryside below their balcony, but Will keeps his eyes on James._

Will- Oh, I am.

_James doesn't seem to notice, and a waitress approaches._

Waitress- Can I-a take-a your order-a?

Will- Can I get the crema di seduzione, please?

James- Hmmm… maybe I'll get some of that as well…

_James receives a text and pulls out his phone_

James- It's Constance. There's been another attack, and they're still saying they were sent from Woodsworth.

Will- Hmmm.

_He doesn't seem to care about the news, and instead is gazing with half-lidded eyes at James._

James- Think we can finish that cake in five minutes?

Will- Well… the best things always take time.

_A pause._

Will- But I guess we can rush right into things if that's what you want.

_The waitress returns with the two bowls of cream._

Waitress- Enjoy-a your meal-a, you two-a! You are-a una coppia carina!

Will- Non sta prendendo i miei suggerimenti

_The waitress laughs and walks off._

James- What was that?

Will- Hm? Just a little Italian I picked up from my mom.

James- What did you say?

Will- Oh, nothing important…

_We cut to Hannah in her cell, bored and twiddling her thumbs, eying the camera behind her. Suddenly, she hears a noise behind her and strains her neck to turn around._

Hannah- What is that? Who's there!

_Suddenly, the vent in the wall opens and Lauren's team crawls through, shooting the camera with paintballs before dropping down._

Hannah- The deputies? What are you doing here?

_A clanging comes from the vent and AJ falls down, quickly brushing himself off._

Hannah- AJ!?

AJ- Come on. We're going out.

_Hannah raises her eyebrows._

Hannah- How bold of you. I was wondering who would make the first move.

_AJ flushes and Hannah laughs._

Hannah- Oh, AJ. Just get me out of this chair.

_We cut to Hannah and AJ sneaking falling out of the vent on the other side, quickly going behind a corner followed by Lauren's team._

Hannah- What are the deputies doing with you, AJ?

Mr. Garcia- We don't trust Constance either.

Gabriel- I just get a feeling about her.

Carmen- There's something going on.

AJ- And we're going to find out what!

Hannah- So you're collaborating with a prisoner? How scandalous.

AJ- Isn't everything here?

Hannah- I suppose this is quite a scandalous school!

AJ- You were going to tell me something about Sterling's plans. If we can figure them out, then we can go to James and Will directly and not tell Constance. She might even be behind this.

Mr. Garcia- And it might help clear your name as well.

_Hannah considers it._

Hannah- Send the deputies away. I'll only talk to you.

Emily- But-

_AJ silences her with a hand wave._

AJ- Alright. Deputies, keep an eye on Constance and intercept any attacks before she can interrogate them.

Matthew- You got it.

_They rush off, and AJ turns to Hannah._

AJ- So…

_Hannah sighs._

Hannah- Come with me.

_We cut to the Whisperer and Tommy sitting together drinking tea._

Tommy- So… how's it, um, going?

_The Whisperer leans forward, a smile on his face._

Whisperer- Oh, I'm doing _quite_ well, Tommy.

_He holds the teacup up to his should and lets Jade sip._

Tommy- I… I'm going out today to speak.

_The Whisperer raises his eyebrows._

Whisperer- Oh? What about?

_Tommy panics._

Tommy- Um, none of your business!

_The Whisperer's eyes narrow and he stands. Tommy stands up too._

Whisperer- Excuse me, Tommy.

Tommy- I didn't mean-

Whisperer- I am the brains behind this whole operation! I am the mastermind behind the overthrowal of Sterling Price! I am the incomparable genius behind Lil' Chuck! I put you where you are, and I don't like this new presumptuous attitude you have going for you!

_Angela's voice comes from offscreen._

Angela- You're out of line, Whisperer.

_The Whisperer spins around to face Angela, who is standing in the doorway._

Whisperer- _What_ are you doing here?

Angela- I'm protecting Woodsworth's leader from his power-hungry advisor.

_She turns to Tommy._

Angela- Come on, Tommy. We have to go announce the new program.

Whisperer- What new program?

Angela- Well, Tommy has decided to give the Caring Student Initiative some more power to snuff out the troublemakers in our school.

_The Whisperer seems to relax, but is still angry at Tommy._

Whisperer- You have nothing, Tommy. Nothing without me. I hold all the information!

_Tommy is becoming more and more angry._

Angela- Well, I hope you have a good memory then.

Whisperer- What are you talking about?

Angela- I took the liberty of locking down your office until it can be searched for any information that may have been withheld from our leader.

Whisperer- How dare you! You can't-

Tommy- _Thank_ you, Angela.

_They both spin to walk out._

Whisperer- A word, Angela.

Tommy- Come on, you don't have to listen to-

Angela- It's alright, Tommy. Go start the talk without me.

Tommy- What? But I-

_Angela flashes a dazzling smile._

Angela- I believe in you, Tommy.

_Tommy flushes and smiles._

Tommy- Okay! I'll see you there!

_He rushes off, and Angela closes the door and sits down. The Whisperer remains standing._

Whisperer- Well… you've made yourself at home here.

Angela- Such a lovely school, how could I not?

Whisperer- What are you playing at? What purpose does the CSI serve for you?

Angela- Maybe for once there's no ulterior motive. Maybe I'm just trying to do the right thing.

_The Whisperer laughs._

Angela- Why so funny?

Whisperer- I know that there's always an ulterior motive, and you know how I know?

_Angela raises an eyebrow._

Angela- How?

Whisperer- It's because we're the same, Angela. I know the way you think because we're both schemers and liars. And you know the thing about schemers and liars? They only serve themselves.

_Angela angrily stands up._

Angela- I am not like you!

_The Whisperer flicks a hand and Jade slithers up to face Angela._

Whisperer- I could kill you right now, couldn't I?

_Angela swallows._

Angela- You could.

Whisperer- Why don’t I?

Angela- Because it would cause a riot and oust you from power forever?

Whisperer- I don't know about _forever_. No, the reason I'm keeping you alive is because you're right. We're _not_ the same. I'm going to win, and you aren't.

_Angela rolls her eyes and leaves._

Angela- Gah, I hate that snake!

_We cut to James and Will meeting with Constance._

Constance- Sirs, Hannah has escaped.

_James and Will look up from decorating their cake._

James- What?!

Will- Inconceivable!

Constance- If I may, I have reason to believe that she may have been let out… by AJ.

James- Constance, don't overstep your boundaries. AJ may have a little _thing_ with Hannah, but he's not a traitor!

_Will puts his hands on James' shoulders._

Will- Mm-hm, you tell her James.

Constance- And the deputies are running around the school, muttering that they have work to do!

James- We'll deal with them, Constance. As for you, you go search for Hannah.

_He eyes Constance suspiciously._

James- And take Charlotte with you.

Constance- _Gladly_.

_Constance goes off._

Will- Is it possible that AJ could have betrayed us?

James- He… he wouldn't. He's my friend.

Will- Well… he already did it once before.

_James whirls around._

James- That's in the past! He's loyal now!

Will- Well, whatever happen, _I'll_ be here.

_James smiles._

James- Thank you.

_We cut to Tommy standing before a crowd next to Phillip._

Tommy- And that is why I'm pleased to announce that the Caring Student Initiative will be taking a little more… initiative in our school.

_The army marches out dressed in CSI uniforms, including Lauren._

Phillip- Listen, all of you, now!

_The doors are slammed by CSI members._

Phillip- Every happiness is preceded by a culling.

_Nervous whispers abound through the audience._

Phillip- There are some of you who don't fit into the vision we have for our school

_The Bully Board is projected behind him_

Phillip- Before we can instate happiness upon our school, we must cleanse ourselves of the filth that contaminate these hallways! Seize them!

_The CSI guards rush forwards into the panicked crowd, wielding foam maces or their fists. Screams of terror echo as Phillip raises his arms and delivers his proclamation._

Phillip- We will mold this school into a paradise free from those foul, disgusting, _wrong_ people that don't belong. No more bullies! No more unhappiness!

_A student is confronted by Lauren._

Student- But… I'm not a bully!

Lauren- You think I care? I'm just having fun!

_She tackles the student. As the chaos ensues, Angela pulls Tommy away._

Angela- Come on, this is over. Let's go review the information from the Whisperer's office.

_They walk off, and Phillip goes in the opposite direction to meet with the Whisperer backstage. The Whisperer gives a slow clap._

Whisperer- I must say, that was quite the dramatic proclamation out there.

Phillip- Just doing our duty to bring happiness to the school.

Whisperer- Yes… but there is one last troublemaker to dispose of.

_Phillip smiles, then starts to count on his fingers._

Phillip- One? Aren't there two of them?

Whisperer- Well, yes, but I'm only counting Angela.

Phillip- Why?

Whisperer- Well, we had this whole rivalry thing going, and I haven't really interacted with Lauren this season, and it just sounds more dramatic, alright!

_Phillip shrugs._

Phillip- See you there. Oh, and there's been an uprising against us in the cafeteria. We need someone… bigger… to deal with it

Whisperer- Yes, yes, I'll send Edward.

Phillip- Alrighty! Be seeing you.

_We cut to AJ and Hannah sneaking down a staircase._

Hannah- Sterling told me about some secret instructions he left for me at Forrester in case our plan went south. I guess he knew you guys would capture me here.

AJ- That was thoughtful of him.

Hannah- Yeah, he was always like that…

_Suddenly, a dark look crosses her face, and she shakes her head and continues._

AJ- Um… about Sterling…

_Hannah snaps her head to the side._

Hannah- What?

AJ- Were you guys ever… a thing?

_Hannah pauses, then laughs._

Hannah- Oh, no, no, no. He was far too good for me. I'm so useless and stupid, I could never-

AJ- Hey! Don't say that! You're suspicious of Constance too, which makes you smarter than James and Will at least.

Hannah- That's not exactly an accomplishment.

_They both laugh until they reach the basement. Hannah rushes around._

Hannah- Okay… it should be here somewhere…

_She moves some boxes and uncovers a door with a keypad on it._

Hannah- Here we are.

_Suddenly she appears crestfallen._

Hannah- Oh no…

AJ- What?

Hannah- The password… I- I forgot it.

_Tears start to fall from her eyes and she instinctively slaps her own wrist lightly._

AJ- Hey, hey! We can figure it out! You have to remember something.

Hannah- It was the name of this stupid underground emo British band he listens to, but it's so long, I-

AJ- My Parents Hide My Socks in the Fridge and so I Don't Ever Have Socks and I Have to Walk in the Snow Barefoot Every Day?

Hannah- Yes! Yes, that's it! It was on the tip of my tongue!

_She hugs him before getting ahold of herself._

Hannah- Ok, type it in!

_As AJ is approaching the keypad, they hear footsteps coming down the stairs._

AJ- Hide!

_They scramble to hide behind some boxes as Constance and Charlotte enter the basement._

Charlotte- Those students said they saw them come this way.

Constance- They must be around here somewhere. Search the area.

_They start to look around the room. Charlotte examines where AJ is hiding, but misses him and walks past. He peeks out to see Constance approaching Hannah's hiding spot and starting to move aside the box. He runs out from his spot._

AJ- Hannah, look out!

_Hannah runs out from her spot, avoiding Constance, but now Charlotte and Constance advance on them._

Constance- Got you now.

Charlotte- AJ? I thought it was a possibility, but… how could you?

Constance- Charlotte, help me seize them.

_They run towards Hannah and AJ, but then Gabriel and Emily jump down from the stairs in front of them._

Constance- What?

Gabriel- Whatever you have to do, do it! Go, go!

_They circle around Constance and Charlotte to give AJ and Hannah a way to get to the control panel, which they do. Then Gabriel takes on Constance while Emily and Charlotte battle. As AJ types in the code, Constance catches Gabriel's sword, but is pushed back by the shield._

Constance- This is outrageous! You obey me!

Gabriel- As if! Our only commander is Lauren!

_Charlotte kicks the knives out of Emily's hands and tackles her to the ground, but has it flipped on her. AJ finishes typing in the code._

AJ- Done!

_The door opens and AJ and Hannah step through just and Constance and Charlotte break free from their respective attackers and rush towards AJ and Hannah. They arrive just as the door closes._

Charlotte- Ugh!

_She looks back at Emily and Gabriel._

Charlotte- You two are in _big_ trouble.

_We cut to AJ and Hannah inside, where there is a small old TV and a VHS tape to put in._

Hannah- This must be it.

AJ- This is sure to have Sterling's plans on it.

_He puts the VHS in, and Sterling's face appears on the television._

Sterling (recording)- Hannah, if you're watching this, it means that I've been defeated. Or, more accurately, that _you've_ allowed me to be defeated. Whatever occurred, I'm sure it was all your fault.

_Hannah gasps and AJ puts his hand on her shoulder._

Sterling (recording)- I don't have a plan for you. Because even if I did, you wouldn't be capable of pulling it off. Because you're so _useless_. If you let me fail, then you deserve all the suffering I'm sure Will and James will put you through.

_Hannah starts to cry and leans into AJ, who gives her a hug._

AJ- Hey… it's okay.

Hannah- It's my fault, it's my fault, it's my fault.

AJ- Stop it.

_Hannah pulls away and dries her eyes._

Hannah- Well, there we are. I guess Sterling didn't have any other plans. He couldn't be behind this.

AJ- You know that we'll have to show the tape to James and Will as evidence, right?

_Hannah shudders but nods._

AJ- Okay. Now let's get out of here.

_They open the door to Charlotte's furious face and Constance restraining Gabriel and Emily._

Charlotte- What were you thinking, AJ? You could have-

_AJ shushes her._

AJ- We have proof. Proof that Sterling and Hannah weren't behind these attacks.

_He looks at Constance, who glares at him._

Constance- We'll see about that.

_We cut to Angela, Lauren, Tommy, and Phillip in the CSI room, which is filled with army members dressed in CSI uniforms._

Phillip- And Tommy, I'd just once again like to thank you for our help in this project.

Tommy- Of course. Once a member, always a member.

Phillip- With the power you've given, we'll be able to rehabilitate every bully in the school. We've already captured all of them, now we just need to-

Whisperer (offscreen)- _Almost_ all of them.

_They turn to see the Whisperer enter the room, flanked by guards._

Lauren- What are you doing here?

Whisperer- I'm winning, that's what I'm doing.

_He turns to Phillip._

Phillip- Yes. There is one last bully to deal with.

_He looks at Angela, who gives him a cool stare. Then he starts to wander around the room._

Phillip- But unlike you, Whisperer, I don't say one when I mean two. No, there's only one threat that we need to deal with, and it's the threat we've been fighting from the very beginning.

_He pulls the Bully Board off the wall to reveal a massive photo of the Whisperer. Phillip pulls a dart out of the board and pushes it into the photo._

Whisperer- What are you getting at now?

_He walks towards Phillip, but is seized by two CSI members, his cane forced from his hand._

Whisperer- What are you doing? We had a deal!

_Angela walks to stand beside Phillip._

Angela- I guess we're not the same, Whisperer. I'm a lot better at playing with others.

Phillip- The leader of Woodsworth at our side, the power to do the right thing, and the biggest bully of all out of the way? How could I _not_ take this deal.

Whisperer- You rat! Jade!

_Jade slithers from the Whisperer pantleg towards Angela, but is calmly picked up by Phillip, who tosses her to another CSI guard._

Phillip- Take the snake somewhere else.

Whisperer- Alright, I've had enough of this. Guards!

_The Whisperer's guards move to free him, but Tommy puts his hand up, finally taking command._

Tommy- Stand…down.

_The guards hesitate._

Tommy- Listen to your leader!

_They eventually walk to Tommy's side._

Phillip- Don't worry, Whisperer, we believe that every bully can be reformed. With you, it might just require some suffering first.

_Angela looks at Lauren, who seems duly impressed._

Angela- See you around.

_The Whisperer is hauled out of the room, taken the opposite direction as the guard holding Jade, yelling out._

Whisperer- Unhand me! You can't do this! Stop it now!

_His screams fade as we go back to Angela examining her nails. She look to Tommy._

Angela- Well… how about some brunch? I'm famished.

_End episode._


	25. Rule the School S2E6

**Episode Six: Imprisoned**

Synopsis: Hannah enjoys freedom, while the Whisperer… doesn't.

_We open on Angela receiving a phone call while applying makeup in her Woodsworth office. She picks up the phone, and we see James calling her._

Angela- Yes?

James- Well, you've been having quite the time over at Woodsworth, haven't you?

_Angela seems to panic when faced with James._

Angela- James! I…I-

James- The Whisperer deposed, a new regime on top… and you at the center of it all.

Angela- I was just trying to-

James- I don't want to hear it!

_Angela falls silent quickly._

James- Your orders were to gather information that we could use against the Whisperer, and then report back to us. You decided to take him down yourself, and you even dragged Lauren into it!

Angela- None of this was Lauren's fault! I just wanted to prove I could-

James- Enough!

Angela- I know, I know, but now we've got Woodsworth and I'll hand it over to Will.

James- Angela.

_She falls silent._

James- You have exceeded all of our expectations. What you've accomplished at Woodsworth is unbelievable. You've proven yourself to be capable, resourceful, and smart.

_Angela starts to smile._

Angela- Well, you know, sometimes all you need is a little push to show you parts of yourself you never knew were there.

James- You've shown that you are an invaluable asset to Forrester, and you seem have ingrained yourself at Woodsworth. It seems unnecessary to disrupt what you have going over there, so that's why we'd like to make you the head of Forrester's Woodsworth branch. Obviously, Tommy is still _technically_ the leader over there, but you'll represent all of our interests at Woodsworth.

_Angela covers her mouth._

Angela- Thank you, thank you!

James- It's for the best, anyway. Will can be a little… clingy. He probably wouldn't have taken well to being sent anyway. I should probably warn you that Lauren won't be staying with you. She belongs at Forrester. She'll make sure that there's a smooth transition of power, and then she'll come back. We’ve already discussed the details.

Angela- I won't let you down, I promise.

James- I know you won't Angela. Well done.

_Angela puts the phone down and walks giddily out of the door. She sees Lauren and gives her a large hug._

Lauren- Congratulations!

Angela- We did it, Lauren! We did it!

_Lauren laughs._

Lauren- I almost never doubted you.

_Lauren walks away, and Angela goes in the opposite direction, a smile on her face. However, as Angela turns the corner, we see her smile fade into a look of cruel amusement as she enters an area that has been turned into a cell block manned by CSI men. Phillip greets her._

Phillip- Ah, and how are you today, my lady?

Angela- Better than I've been in a while. Is he free for visitors?

_Phillip waves his hand towards a door at the end of the hallway._

Phillip- Yes, of course. We've just finished our latest attempt to… rehabilitate him.

_Angela chuckles and walks through the door, flanked by guards. We see the Whisperer curled up in the corner, giggling. He unfolds when he sees Angela, and we see that he no longer is wearing his eye patch or cape._

Whisperer- You really think some simple torture will break me?

Angela- I probably should've known better. You must be used to hardship, living on the streets and all that, _Alan_.

_The Whisperer's eyes widen._

Angela- Oh, yes, I found such things in your office. Things that you probably forgot were hidden in there.

_She pulls out an old note and unfolds it._

Angela- Nice note, from some girl named Val. She seems sweet.

_The Whisperer growls and leaps at Angela, but is pushing back by guards and kicked repeatedly._

Angela- Careful, Alan. With that attitude, you're never getting out of here.

Whisperer- We both know you'd never let me out.

Angela- Me, of course not! But when you're at the top, sometimes you have to make compromises. It's the policy of the Caring Student Initiative: everyone can be reformed. Even bullies like you. Phillip's words, not mine.

Whisperer- Why are you here? Just to gloat?

Angela- Something like that. I'm just in a really good mood today.

Whisperer- What have you done with Jade?

Angela- Don't you worry about her. Worry about yourself.

_A guard steps forward and tosses some pamphlets to the Whisperer. He looks over them and they are titled 'Becoming a Better You.'_

Whisperer- Will you just get out and let me think about _saving my soul_ or whatever?

Angela- Sorry for disturbing you. Just wanted to pop in and remind you that I won.

_She and her guards walk out and the door shuts for a moment. Then it creaks open and Angela pops in._

Angela- I won.

Whisperer- Get out!

_We see Angela walk out and speak to Phillip._

Angela- I don't know why you're trying with him, Phillip. He's never going to change his ways.

Phillip- Well, he is technically a first offender under the new order. Our rules prevent us from keeping him here for too much longer, so I might as well try to do what I can for him.

Angela- Well, do what you want. He won't be a threat once he gets out, anyway. We'll be keeping eyes on him every hour of school.

Phillip- We've given him a little taste of the boot, now maybe we'll extend some kindness. I'll try some one on one therapy with him and Edward.

Angela- Ha! You guys finally wrestled Old Eddy under control?

Phillip- It took us 20 soldiers, but yes, he's contained.

Angela- Alrighty, but before you have teatime or whatnot with Alan, shall we?

Phillip- Fine, just once.

_Angela and Phillip turn around and do a slow-motion walk. Lauren and Tommy join them. Angela tosses her hair, Lauren spits to the side, Tommy runs his hands through his hair, and Phillip finger guns at a passing CSI guard. We pan out to see banners with the CSI logo (a pink heart encircled by a chain of hands) being hung around Woodsworth. Then we cut to Hannah and AJ sitting on a table next to Charlotte as she clicks through a computer._

Hannah- Ah, freedom is sweet.

AJ- Watcha doing, Char?

_Charlotte shoots AJ a dirty look._

Charlotte- Don’t call me that.

AJ- Oh, right. Only Lauren is allowed that privilege.

_Charlotte rolls her eyes as AJ and Hannah giggle._

Charlotte- I'm looking through the school records. Just trying to see if there's anything about these attackers that makes sense. The latest batch has been interrogated, and they're still saying they're from Woodsworth.

AJ- Boring!

_Hannah slaps AJ's wrist lightly._

Hannah- AJ, be polite. Charlotte, your work sounds _very_ important.

_A pause._

Hannah- Honestly, I don't know how these people could be from Woodsworth. Both Sterling and the Whisperer like to do their own dirty work.

Charlotte- Well, how else do you explain their confessions?

AJ- Well, they were interrogated by _Constance._

Charlotte- You need to stop with your vendetta against Constance, AJ. Besides, Lauren is coming back soon.

AJ- She can't get back soon enough, then.

Hannah- Wait, Lauren's coming back? Why?

_Charlotte shrugs._

Charlotte- I just overheard James talking about it.

_Suddenly, James and Will burst wearing sunglasses and holding wine glasses filled with punch._

James- We did it, folks!

Will- The Whisperer is no more, and Angela is the top dog at Woodsworth!

Hannah- What?!

James- Time for a celebration!

Hannah- Angela? That moron?

Will- You'd be surprise at how much she's grown. She's really come into her own.

Charlotte- That's awesome! I had my doubts, but now it's finally over.

Will- But anyway, as James was saying, it's time for a party. Meet us in the board room later.

AJ- Can Hannah come?

_James looks doubtful._

James- I don't-

Will- Sure, why not? She's a free woman, and I think she could end up being some help around the school in the future.

_He smiles at Hannah and she hesitantly smiles back._

Hannah- See you there.

_We cut to the Whisperer and Edward in a room with Phillip, who is surrounded by guards._

Phillip- And when someone drops their bags, what do you do?

_The Whisperer forces a smile._

Whisperer- Well, _of course_ , I would stop whatever important stuff I was doing and help them pick up their stuff.

_Phillip looks pointedly at Edward, who is silent._

Whisperer- Don't try with him. I think he understood what you said, though.

Phillip- Hm. Alright then. I'm sure when you're reformed, you'll keep him in line if he strays from the CSI path. Anyways, next question. If someone calls you stupid, what do you do?

Whisperer- Forgive them and walk away.

Phillip- What if someone falls in front of you?

Whisperer- Help them up.

Phillip- What if you're given responsibility over an entire school?

_The Whisperer snaps._

Whisperer- Then I do what I want because I have the power?! And I'll have the power again, you hear! This is all pointless, because once I get out of here, I will take back what is mine! I will crush you to a pulp under my foot! I _will_ have control!

_Phillip suddenly gets a cold look on his face and leans in towards the Whisperer._

Phillip- You will _never_ have control again. Even after you get out of here, you will have _nothing_. Our policies prevent us from imprisoning you forever, but you'll forever be a prisoner of the regime, even when you're on the outside. _We_ will have control over you.

_The Whisperer slaps Phillip in the face. Phillip tightens his jaw and smiles, gesturing with his hand. A large number of guards enter and drag Edward off._

Phillip- I think our friend here needs a little more tough love.

_He waves his hand and the Whisperer is knocked to the ground by guards and receives a severe beating. His eyes open frantically and we cut between his current beating and the beating he received from his father in Echoes. He screams, and then we cut to Angela and Tommy in their office receiving a message from a messenger._

Messenger- And a holdout group of bullies has locked down classroom A-13 and are taking down any troops that try to enter. What should we do?

Tommy- Um…I…

_He looks at Angela, who performs a complicated series of hand gestures in some sort of secret language._

Tommy- We'll deal with it ourselves.

Angela- Super! Let's go.

_We cut to them knocking on a door to a classroom._

Angela- We're not here to fight. We just want to talk.

Bully- No! Leave us alone!

Tommy- Come on. You can't stay in here forever. We're alone.

_An eye looks around through the peephole. Then the door peeks open and Angela and Tommy are pulled inside and pushed into chairs by bullies._

Bully 1- What can you offer us?

Bully 2- You've declared war on everyone like us!

Bully 3- We weren't even really bullies, just the occasional joke here or there!

Angela- Alright, alright, calm down. There's room here for negotiation.

_Tommy looks puzzled, but Angela gives him a pointed glare and he smiles at the bullies. Angela stands up._

Angela- How long have you been hiding out here?

Bully 2- Two days, since the regime took power.

_He gestures to people tied up and gagged in CSI uniforms in the corner._

Bully 2- We've had to take down anyone that's tried to come in. The windows, walls, floor, they've stopped at nothing.

Angela- Is all this resistance even worth it? You'd only have to serve a short sentence for your first offense, and then you can keep it on the straight and narrow. If you turn yourselves in, things will be even easier for you.

Bully 1- I don't know… I don’t know if I trust the CSI. It's all too fishy.

Tommy- Um, just think about it! You could become valued members of the military and help the new regime! You could, um, be at my right hand side.

Bully 3- Us at your right hand? Why would you do that?

_Angela smirks._

Angela- We wouldn't. We've just been distracting you.

Bully 3- What?

_The vent in the ceiling opens and Lauren and Xavier drop down, taking down the three bullies quickly and untying the CSI members. Angela high-fives Lauren._

Angela- Nice!

Lauren- You know I had to get some violence in before I leave.

Xavier- I'm gonna miss you, Lauren!

Lauren- Relax, I still have some time left.

Bully 1- Hey, I trusted you!

Angela- That was your mistake.

_She looks pointedly at Tommy, who is confused for a second then quickly remembers._

Tommy- Oh… that's just how you rule the school.

Angela- Good job, Tommy!

_We see Angela smile and then have a short soundless collection of clips showing her ruling the school, such as sitting alongside Tommy on thrones, ordering guards to carry her around, and lording over a CSI gathering with Phillip. Then we cut to AJ, Hannah, James, Will, Charlotte, and Constance at a part in the board room. James is chugging punch, and Will cheers him on._

Will- Chug, chug, chug!

_James puts his down and we see that his mouth is stained red. AJ goes to grab some food from the counter, but Hannah grabs it first. She notices and freaks out._

Hannah- Oh, did you want this? I'm so sorry, here you go.

_She scoops the food onto AJ's plate and he notices her slapping her wrist._

AJ- Hey, wait!

_She turns around and AJ scoops half the food onto her plate._

AJ- We can just share.

_He smiles and Hannah nervously smiles back. They go to sit down at the table with everyone else. James raises his cup to propose a toast._

James- I'd like to thank all of you for supporting us in this journey to take over Woodsworth. I know it may seem like Angela and Lauren had all the fun, but we did an important job holding down the fort.

Will- I know that Angela and Lauren aren't here now, but we're sending out our best wishes to them to secure their power at Woodsworth. Constance, thank you for keeping everything under control while Lauren has been gone.

_Constance nods._

James- Charlotte, thank you for maintaining some organization and helping us trace the origins of these attackers.

_Charlotte nods._

James- And AJ-

_Suddenly, the door bursts open and dozens of blank-eyed students enter._

Constance- Attackers!

_The students charge and James immediately moves AJ in front of him._

James- I'm the leader, protect me!

_AJ is shocked, but manages to punch an attacker in the face. Meanwhile, Constance and Charlotte are taking down attackers left and right. Charlotte is expertly throwing spoons at one student while Constance is shoving students' faces into food. A student comes from behind James and is about to attack him._

Will- No!

_He grabs a large metal spoon and spars with the student. He is about to be defeated, but James grabs a frying pan and knocks out the attacker. AJ is also about to be overwhelmed, but Hannah rushes in and repeatedly hits the attacker with her purse until he retreats._

James- Ugh! Who are these people working for?

_Suddenly, the attackers clustered near the door turn around and the deputies burst through, taking them down. They surround the heroes until all the attackers are defeated. The last attacker is running away, but Constance tackles him to the ground._

Constance- Who are you working for?

_She twists his arm._

Constance- Tell me!

_The attacker turns around and speaks almost robotically._

Attacker- We are working for the masterminds to take down Forrester… AJ Mitchell and Hannah Goldenshire.

_AJ gasps. Everyone looks at Hannah and AJ, and James is furious. Mr. Garcia looks at AJ and nods._

Mr. Garcia- Run.

_The deputies hold off Constance and the others as AJ and Hannah run for it. We follow them as they run out of Forrester and down the stairs. AJ pulls out his phone._

AJ- Mom! Can you pick me and my friend up?

James (intercom)- Find AJ and Hannah! They are threats to the school and must be captured! Traitor!

_End episode._


	26. Rule the School S2E7

**Episode Seven: Fugitives**

Synopsis: AJ and Hannah skip out on school, and the Whisperer receives his punishment.

_We open on James and Will entering a room where Constance is standing before the deputies, who are clearly disheveled. Charlotte stands with Constance._

James- We have a mission for you.

Will- This is your last chance to prove your loyalty, or you will be released from your positions permanently and we _will_ throw shade at you on social media.

_The deputies turn pale._

Mr. Garcia- You wouldn't.

Charlotte- Oh, we would.

Constance- You defended _traitors_ and allowed them to escape school grounds. You're lucky we're not keeping you locked up.

Gabriel- I don't have to listen to anything _you_ say.

James- We know that you were duped into helping AJ and Hannah because of some conviction that Constance is an enemy.

Emily- Conviction? It's so obvious!

Will- Enough! You have shown too much insolence to your commanding officer!

Constance- I mean, it's so _hurtful_.

Will- Therefore, we will allow you one opportunity to show respect and redeem yourselves.

James- Help Constance hunt down Hannah and AJ…

Charlotte- And capture them.

_The deputies wearily look at each other, make a decision, and nod._

Will- And if you betray us again…

Constance- Well, then I'll get to have some fun.

_Constance goes to speak with the deputies, and James, Will, and Charlotte walk out._

James- Charlotte, go check in with Angela.

Charlotte- You got it.

_Charlotte walks off. James rubs his head._

James- I just can't believe AJ would betray us.

Will- Yes, it's not like he's _ever_ betrayed you before.

James- Still, I thought he had moved past that. He had always been so loyal.

Will- I do admit, there is something off about it.

James- I don't know what I'll do without him…

_Will can't help but be a little jealous._

Will- Hey, we'll get through it together.

_James smiles._

James- Yeah… serves AJ right for throwing everything away for a _girl._

Will- Well… love can drive us to do crazy things.

James- Love? They've barely known each other.

Will- Well, sometimes it happens right away… and other times they _just don't get it._

_James is still preoccupied in thought, and Will rolls his eyes._

Will- Anyways, we've received an invitation from Angela.

James- Angela? What for?

_Will shrugs._

Will- It just says… something fun.

James- Sure, why not. It'll be good to see her and Lauren again.

Will- Who knows, maybe we'll see our good friend the Whisperer too.

_James and Will laugh, and we cut to Angela sipping tea. We see that the Whisperer is across the table with armed guards behind him._

Angela- How has your day been, Alan?

_The Whisperer grits his teeth at the name but forces a smile._

Whisperer- Oh, it's been _great_. I had a delightful round of reeducation this morning, followed by some good hearty torture from Phillip.

_Angela raises an eyebrow._

Angela- Wow, way to have a positive attitude about your predicament.

_Awkward silence._

Angela- My day was great, thanks for asking. All that information you left behind has been so helpful in quelling uprisings during the power transitions. Tommy's really living it up now that _you're_ not around to hold him back.

Whisperer- Hold him back? He'd be nothing without me!

Angela- Of course. You made him the figurehead, and I can't thank you enough for that. It's easier to get everyone on board with the new regime when we have a familiar face at the forefront.

Whisperer- Hm. So you're just doing the same thing I did. Learning from the best, I suppose.

Angela- Don't give yourself too much credit, Alan. You built a house of cards. Once you were taken out, the whole thing crumbled. I have the backing of Tommy and the CSI, and this regime can last even without me. I just get to reap all the benefits.

_The Whisperer rolls his eyes and crosses his arms._

Angela- I wonder if Lauren and Edward are having as much fun as we are.

_We cut to Lauren and Edward having tea silently in another room, glaring at each other. Then we cut back to Angela and the Whisperer._

Angela- So… any advice?

Whisperer- Excuse me?

Angela- Well, I'm kind of new to this whole ruling thing, so I thought I'd get some tips from someone who's been through it all.

Whisperer- Well, I guess my first move would be to free all prisoners.

_Angela grins._

Angela- That's such a great idea! I'll get right on that!

_She stands up and the Whisperer seems confused._

Whisperer- Um… what do you mean?

Angela- I mean that it's almost time for you to be freed! And you'll get to see Jade again, too.

_She exits, leaving the Whisperer a bit confuzzled. Then we cut to AJ and Hannah walking around a shopping plaza. AJ is freaking out._

AJ- What are we going to do? They think we're traitors! We're not traitors, are we? I don't remember doing anything treacherous!

Hannah- Of course not! We've clearly been framed!

AJ- We have to figure out what's going on! And Constance is clearly at the center of it!

_Hannah nods, and they sit down on a bench._

Hannah- We have to get back into Forrester. The truth's bound to be around there somewhere.

AJ- Obviously. Where else would it be, her house or something?

Hannah- That's absurd. Clearly she would keep incriminating evidence at her workplace.

_AJ nods._

Hannah- Of course, we'll have to lay low for a while before we go back. James and Will are probably still in high alert.

AJ- So we're just supposed to sit here?

Hannah- Well, maybe we could do some shopping. That always helps me when I'm stressed.

AJ- Sure, but I visit the shopping center a lot, and I doubt I could find anything new.

Hannah- I know this place inside and out. There's always new stuff to find. See, that's new!

_She points to a thrift shop._

Hannah- Ooh, I just love thrift shopping!

_She runs in, and AJ reluctantly follows her. They look around the thrift store, and AJ looks at some bottles on the shelves._

AJ- Nausea, headaches… these are all poisons.

_He looks in other rows but just finds more poisons. Hannah looks in a different section and finds only assorted knives and blades._

Hannah- Ugh, so tacky.

AJ- Does this thrift store have anything non-lethal?

Voice 1- Do you have a problem with our product assortment?

Voice 2- Because if so, I would love to escort you out.

_AJ and Hannah turn to see Becky and Christopher behind the desk. AJ's eyes widen and he marches towards them._

AJ- You!

Becky- Ugh, relax. I'm a respected businesswoman now.

Christopher- Please, may I recommend some axes for you?

Hannah- Have you ever considered branching out your product pool?

_A pause as Becky looks disgusted._

Becky- What did you just say?

Hannah- Just a suggestion…

Christopher- Like… spears instead of axes?

AJ- How did you guys end up here, anyways? You're children, you can't run a business!

Becky- All the absurd things in this show, and this is what you're calling out?

AJ- Fair enough.

_Becky turns to Hannah._

Becky- By the way, I'm sorry for betraying you and Sterling, but he _did_ abandon me. That guy was a piece of work.

Christopher- Tell me about it. I don't know why I ever worked for him.

_AJ looks at Hannah to see her eyes wide at the mention of Sterling. She instinctively lightly slaps her own wrist._

Hannah- D-don't talk about him like that?

_Becky sighs._

Becky- Ah, loyal as ever, I see. You always were Sterling's favorite pet.

_She and Christopher laugh._

AJ- Come on.

_He ushers Hannah out of the store._

Christopher- Come again soon! We're having a sale next week!

AJ- You okay?

Hannah- Yeah, yeah…

_Her eyes flit around until they settle on something and her face goes white._

Hannah- Holy shhhhhhe's here!

AJ- What?

_He looks up to see Constance and the deputies on the second floor of the shopping center. She looks down and glares at them, pointing wildly._

AJ- Run!

_We engage in a comical slapstick sequence. AJ and Hannah run into a store and slam the doors, placing a bar over the door to prevent it from opening. Constance runs up to the entrance._

Constance- Fetch me my blowtorch!

_AJ and Hannah see the door start to burn as Constance cuts a hole through it. They run up to the storeowner._

AJ- We need to get out of here.

_The storeowner furrows her brow for a second._

Storeowner- Come with me.

_She leads them to a painting in the back, removing it to reveal a secret tunnel. AJ and Hannah climb through._

Storeowner- Go, go!

_Constance bursts through as the storeowner puts the painting back._

Constance- Where are they?

Storeowner- Who?

_Constance drops down on all fours and starts sniffing the ground, leading herself to the painting. She removes it and sees the secret tunnel._

Constance- Aha!

_She snaps her fingers and points at Gabriel and Emily, then at the storeowner._

Constance- Deal with her.

_We cut to AJ and Hannah emerging from the tunnel on the third floor, coming from behind another painting._

AJ- It won't be long until she finds us! We have to go!

_Constance's voice rings out from the tunnel._

Constance- I'm coming for you!

Hannah- Oh my god, are you serious?

_They run to the elevator. The door closes just as Constance comes running, the deputies following. Constance quickly climbs a ladder to enter the elevator shaft, holding on to the cord and following the elevator. We see AJ and Hannah exiting the elevator on the first floor, but as they are running away, Constance punches through the wall to exit the elevator shaft on the second floor, the deputies running to meet her._

Constance- Fetch me my wingsuit!

_Hannah looks behind them to see Constance leaping from the second floor and using a wingsuit to glide towards them, a manic glee in her eyes._

Hannah- AJ, we need to go faster!

AJ- There!

_They grab some unlocked bikes and start to bike away, gaining ground from Constance. However, she lands on top of a convenient horse truck and kicks the top, causing the back to open. She leaps onto one of the horses and kicks its side, galloping after AJ and Hannah._

AJ- This woman is relentless!

Hannah- Come on! To the farmer's market!

_They make a turn, and just as they cross the street, traffic goes through, blocking Constance's path._

AJ- Hah! We lost her!

_Constance keeps galloping full speed, and as the horse stops at the traffic, she leaps off, landing on a car and using some EPIC PARKOUR to maneuver to the rooftops, pursuing Hannah and AJ. They dismount their bikes as they reach a fruit cart at the end of the farmer's market, right before it goes off into the lake. Hannah hands a wad of money to the cart owner._

Hannah- Here. Now go.

_The owner counts the money, his eyes going wide, then runs off. Constance leaps down from the rooftops. Hannah and AJ pull out fruit from the cart and start throwing it as Constance. She simply grabs a bo staff from a nearby cart and uses it to block any incoming projectiles. Eventually AJ and Hannah run out of fruit, and Constance begins advancing towards them._

Constance- Got you now. Did you really think you could stop me with some fruit?

AJ- Not quite…

Hannah- We just needed to lose some weight.

_Constance slips on a banana peel as Hannah kicks up the cart's kickstand. AJ and Hannah leap onto the cart as it rolls down the hill, and Hannah grabs an oar from a convenient oar stand as they pass, rolling into the lake. Hannah paddles as they both laugh._

AJ- Hahaha! Nice one, Hannah!

_Constance growls as she gets up. She beckons with her hand, and the deputies come to her side._

Constance- Come on.

_AJ and Hannah look from their floating fruit cart to see Constance and the deputies kicking a man off of his jet-ski and climbing on. They speed after them, and Hannah tries to paddle harder, but it's no use. AJ grabs the oar from her and uses it to steer them towards a fishing boat, where he grabs a bucket from a fishing vessel._

AJ- My mom would always take me out fishing. I'd recognize that bait anywhere… they only use it to try and catch Ashmount's famous lake sharks!

_As Constance and the deputies approach, crammed together on the jet-ski, AJ tosses the bait at them, and they are almost immediately swarmed by lake sharks._

AJ- They're not that violent, but they should keep them busy for a while!

_Hannah stares in disbelief, and AJ turns around to see Constance riding one of the sharks towards them, cackling._

Hannah- Oh my gosh, I have _had it_ with this woman!

_She picks up the oar and smacks Constance in the head with it as she approaches on the shark, knocking her out cold. The deputies swing around the jet-ski to pick her up, and Gabriel gives AJ and Hannah a knowing glance as they drive off, not trying to pursue them. Hannah and AJ sit down on their fruit cart as Hannah paddles them away._

AJ- Ugh, finally.

_Hannah giggles and they smile at each other. Then we cut to Hannah sitting on shore later in the evening. Hannah looks out over the lake, where we can see Forrester and Woodsworth on opposite sides. AJ comes and sits down next to her._

AJ- Ok, I found some campers, and they said we can stay with them until the morning. Then, we'll have to find a way to sneak into Forrester.

_Hannah smiles._

Hannah- Sounds easy enough. We've accomplished a lot together so far…

AJ- So… there's some stuff I've been wanting to ask you about… about Sterling.

_Hannah's smile fades._

AJ- I just think that there seems to be something going on there, and-

Hannah- It was eighth grade year.

_We transition into a flashback where we see a younger Hannah talking to other students in a meeting._

Hannah (voiceover)- Sterling had been leading Woodsworth for a while, and I had just been elected to the student government. I was new to the game, but everyone was already saying that I was going to go far. I got noticed.

_We see Sterling approaching Hannah, forcing a smile. He takes her aside, and Hannah blushes and smiles._

Hannah (voiceover)- He said he wanted me to be his right-hand woman. I was amazed! It was all so much, and he was so…

_We see various shots of the escalating abuse Hannah suffered at Sterling's hands. She is doing work and talking to people, and he eyes her. Then we see her going to type on the computer, and Sterling slaps her wrist aside. Then Sterling is speaking to another leader, and Hannah tries to speak up. Sterling slaps her wrist without stopping talking to the other leader. But we also see him alternating between abuse and affection, patting her head and smiling at her, causing her to blush. Then we go back to Hannah and AJ. Hannah is looking off into the distance, a mix of emotions on her face._

AJ- Hannah…

Hannah- And now he's gone… and I don't know what to do.

AJ- He didn't care about you, Hannah.

Hannah- You don't know that!

AJ- I do, though. That's not how someone treats you when they care.

_Hannah holds his gaze for a second, then collapses and starts crying._

AJ- Hannah, I…

_She leans against him, and he pulls her into a hug._

AJ- Hey… it's gonna be okay.

_They sit together and watch the sunset. Then we cut to James and Will entering Woodsworth. They are surprised to see all the lights dimmed and the auditorium crammed with chanting people whose faces are painted with the CSI logo._

James- What is this?

_They look around, a bit creeped out, until Angela pops out of the crowd and comes towards them. She is dressed in her fashionable cult getup, and is wearing a top hat and holding the Whisperer's cane._

Angela- Hey guys! Enjoying the ceremony?

Will- Wow… this all seems a bit… cultish.

Angela- Oh, cults are so _in_ right now. Come on, I saved you a seat.

_Will and James get seated next to Lauren as Angela walks onstage, joined by Phillip and Tommy._

Announcer- And now, your leaders of Woodsworth!

_We see Angela, Tommy, and Phillip perform a small dance as they enter to thundering applause._

James- What is going on here?

_Lauren shrugs._

Lauren- All I know is that nobody's getting beat up, so I don't care.

Will- Well, they're not lacking in style.

Tommy- Students of Woodsworth!

Phillip- We are gathered here to witness the penance of our greatest criminal!

_Boos echo from the audience._

Tommy- Why wait? Shall we?

Angela- Bring him out!

Crowd- Bring him out! Bring him out!

_Angela points with her cane as the curtains draw open and the Whisperer is dragged out, restrained by guards._

Whisperer- What is this? What are you doing?

Phillip- Here we have an example of everything the Caring Student Initiative stands against!

Tommy- He's corrupt, he's crazy, he's rotten to the core!

Angela- What do you say we teach him a lesson?

Crowd- Yeah! Yeah! Yeah!

_Angela points again with the cane._

Angela- Bring in the merchandise!

Whisperer- Merchandise? What merchandise?

_A CSI soldier brings out Jade in a terrarium and sets her down on the table._

Whisperer- Jade?

Tommy- Does anyone recognize this snake!

Crowd- Yeah! Yeah! Yeah!

Phillip- We all know how much our darling Whisperer cares for this snake! One could even call it… a weakness of his.

Angela- Fire up iBay!

_Tommy opens up a computer and a screen displays the iBay auction page for 'rare green snake, mint condition.' The Whisperer's eyes go wide._

Whisperer- Wait, wait, wait! What is this!?

Phillip- Let's go!

_The auction starts and Tommy and Angela stroll around the stage as the Whisperer struggles against the guards._

Tommy- And the bids are rolling in! Here we have a bid from a plumber in Southern Arizona!

Angela- I don't know, that seems a little too close to home. We can't have Alan here tracking down his little friend!

Tommy- Should we give the snake to this plumber?

Crowd- No! No! No!

Phillip- Oh, here's a bid from a researcher in the Sahara!

Whisperer- The Sahara? No, that's too dry for her! Stop this now!

Tommy- I think he's right. That would be too dry for it.

Angela- We're not trying to hurt the snake here, that would go against our beliefs in the Caring Student Initiative.

Tommy- Should we give the snake to this researcher?

Crowd- No! No! No!

Will- She's really going for it, huh?

James- Ah, she's grown so much… I'm so proud of her.

_We see that Lauren is snoring during the ceremony. Will snaps her awake, and she rolls her eyes._

Lauren- Just tell me when we get to the action.

Will- Ugh… no respect for showmanship.

Phillip- Ah! Third time's the charm! Here's a bid from a hotel owner in Brazil! Far away, tropical, and safe! Sounds perfect to me!

Tommy- No arguments here!

Angela- Should we give the snake to this hotel owner?

_There is a pause, then the crowd erupts in cheers. Angela grins._

Angela- Take it away!

_A guard enters and picks up the terrarium, taking it off to be transported._

Whisperer- No! No! No!

_He struggles, but it's no use. The laughter and cheers of the crowd is deafening as Angela leaps off the stage and crowd surfs. She leaves the cane behind, and Tommy picks it up and hands it to the Whisperer as the guards let go._

Tommy- I believe this is yours, _Alan._ You're free to go.

_The Whisperer lunges at Tommy but is again restrained by the guards._

Tommy- You're not free to attack anyone. Get out of here.

_The Whisperer looks around, for once at a loss for words. Then, finally, he runs offstage. We cut to Angela talking to James and Will later._

Angela- Won't you guys stay for the feast afterwards?

_Will looks at his phone._

Will- Sorry, we can't. Constance and the deputies failed to capture AJ and Hannah.

James- Ugh, are you serious?

Angela- Wait, AJ and Hannah? What's going on with them?

James- We'll talk about it once it's dealt with.

Angela- Well, if you need assistance from Woodsworth, you know who to ask.

Will- Of course. Be seeing you, Angela.

Angela- Soon, I hope.

_James and Will walk away as the students engage in a frenzied rave. Then we cut to Edward wandering the hallways until he finds what he is looking for. The Whisperer is curled up in a corner crying. Edward awkwardly sits next to him and brings him in for a hug, placing the Whisperer's head on his lap. Finally, the Whisperer wipes away his tears and looks up, furious._

_End episode._


	27. Rule the School S2E8

**Episode Eight: Detective AJ**

Synopsis: AJ and Hannah investigate, Angela makes plans, and the Whisperer lets out some anger.

_We open on James and Will walking through Forrester eating macaroons and looking down from a balcony at the rabble below._

Will- So Hannah and AJ managed to escape…

James- We _will_ hunt them down. Nobody can get away with betraying us!

Will- I do wonder what Hannah said to AJ to get him to join her. He's not _that_ stupid.

James- The poor boy's smitten. Ugh, so weak.

Will- I wouldn't consider affection a weakness, per say.

_James rolls his eyes._

James- Emotion is a flaw in a leader. It must be crushed!

_Will eyes James curiously._

Will- So that's what you really think, huh?

James- Yeah… what of it?

Will- I just think that every now and then, you just have to embrace some emotions. Especially if they're particularly strong.

James- Hm. Regardless, AJ's but an inconvenience. We control Forrester and Woodsworth, and soon the last threat to our power will be eliminated.

Will- What then?

James- Excuse me?

Will- After we've secured our position, what will you do?

James- I… I don't know. You?

_Will winks and taps James' foot with his own._

Will- I guess I'll just pursue my interests.

_James flushes, and quickly distracts himself._

James- Let's, um, get to work. I need you at the spirit assembly today. I'm working with Constance to make sure AJ and Hannah didn't seek refuge at any other schools.

Will- I'm on it.

_They walk in separate directions, and we cut to the shore as AJ and Hannah walk out from the campsite. Hannah is wearing AJ's scarf._

AJ- How… how are you-

Hannah- I'm okay. Let's head out before most of the guards get to school.

_AJ nods and they go to climb into their makeshift fruit cart boat and AJ starts paddling. There is a bit of a pause._

Hannah- AJ…

AJ- Hm?

Hannah- I…thank you.

AJ- For what?

Hannah- You know… for listening.

_AJ flushes._

AJ- Oh, um, well, thank you. For trusting me, and for, um, believing in me.

_Hannah smiles, and we cut to Angela, Tommy, and Phillip making a speech in front of Woodsworth._

Angela- And to celebrate the newfound unity of Woodsworth under the Caring Student Initiative, we will be holding a special Friendship Assembly!

Tommy- It will be a way for us to all come together!

Phillip- Everyone will be there, or else you _clearly_ need some rehabilitation!

Angela- And there will be special friendship bracelets made _personally_ by us for the people we feel have been _especially_ nice!

_The crowd cheers, and they walk offstage. The Whisperer is waiting there, escorted by two guards._

Whisperer- Why did you call me here?

Angela- Why, so you can help out, of course! I need you to make about, oh, 150 friendship bracelets. That should be enough to cover the groups we need to flatter.

Whisperer- But you said that you-

_Angela shushes him._

Angela- And as far as anyone knows, Phillip, Tommy, and I made them. Got it?

_The Whisperer looks furious, but relents._

Whisperer- Got it.

_He storms off, but bumps into Lauren on his way out._

Whisperer- Oh, it's _you_.

_Lauren narrows her eyes._

Lauren- Aw, what's the matter, _Alan_. Not happy to see me?

Whisperer- Do _not_ call me that.

Lauren- Whatever. You won't have to see me anymore, anyways. I'm off to Forrester.

_The Whisperer is silent for a second._

Whisperer- A shame.

Lauren- Excuse me?

Whisperer- A shame you won't be here when I reclaim my rightful place and _destroy_ your little friend.

_Lauren chokes the Whisperer against a wall, and they stare at each other. Eventually, Lauren drops him._

Lauren- You can't do _anything_. You have _nothing._

_She walks off, exiting the school. The Whisperer is livid, and Edward comes behind. The Whisperer turns around and storms off._

Whisperer- Come on!

_We cut to AJ and Hannah trying enter Forrester dressed in hoodies, but the doors are guarded._

Hannah- Oh no! The doors are guarded. What will we-

AJ- Wait… look.

_We see that the doors are guarded by Mr. Garcia and Matthew. Hannah and AJ cautiously approach with their heads down._

Matthew- Wait just a moment. You two are acting awfully suspicious!

_AJ and Hannah slowly raise their heads so they can see who they are. Mr. Garcia's eyes go wide, and he ushers them in._

Mr. Garcia- Be careful…

_AJ nods, and they walk in, keeping a low profile as more guards than usual line the hallways. They head for the stairs._

AJ- Okay, if we're going to find the real source of these attacks, we'll need to get some information on the students involved.

Hannah- Agreed. There has to be a common thread between them.

AJ- Charlotte mentioned that she was going to do some research on them. I'm sure it's still open in her office.

Hannah- Right! Let's go!

_We see them running up the stairs and sneaking around the halls until they reach the outside of the office area. They peek inside to see Charlotte typing at her computer._

AJ- Darn it, she's in there!

Hannah- We can just wait until she-

AJ- No! Every second counts here, and James and Will are gonna catch us if we're not quick!

Hannah- Well then… I might have something that can help us out.

_She pulls out a bottle from her purse._

Hannah- I picked up a little something from Becky at the shopping center. This should… keep Charlotte busy.

AJ- Wow! So that whole thrift shop thing wasn't just a pointless checkin on two obsolete characters, it actually contributed to the plot!

_We cut to Charlotte sitting in her office, looking at her computer. Suddenly, Hannah comes up from behind her and presses a cloth against her face, knocking her out immediately._

AJ- Oh my gosh! Is she okay?

_Hannah waves her hand._

Hannah- She'll wake up in two hours. Get her out of the chair.

_AJ awkwardly moves Charlotte onto the floor, and Hannah sits down and starts typing,_

Hannah- Let's see, here's the files on every student involved in the attacks.

_She peers over it, her eyes narrowing._

Hannah- I'm not seeing any commonalities. She has them sorted every way I can imagine. Clique, known weaknesses, financial status…

AJ- What if we try something a bit simpler?

Hannah- What do you mean?

_AJ reaches over to type something different in the computer._

AJ- Look, here we are. Every single attacker is in fourth period gym… taught by one Constance Primm.

Hannah- She must be behind this all!

AJ- Obviously.

Hannah- Let's go check out the gym.

AJ- They're in a sports medicine unit now, so they'll actually be in classroom 214.

Hannah- Right!

_They head off and we cut to the Whisperer and Edward getting out of a car and walking towards a warehouse. The door opens and a group of tough-looking people come out._

Mobster 1- Who are you and what are you doing here?

Mobster 2- Best be on your way, kiddo.

Mobster 3- Wait… that’s the old boss' kid.

Whisperer- Correct… I need your help.

Mobster 2- Ha! Why should we help some kid?

Whisperer- Well… because I know where the old man hid his cash…

_The mobsters eye the Whisperer and then each other._

Mobster 1- We're in. What do you want?

Whisperer- Oh, I just want to do a simple job. I have some anger I need to let out.

_He smiles, and we cut to James and Will fumbling with a computer until they get a video chat up on a screen at the front. We see Angela and Tommy on the other end._

Tommy- Who are these guys again?

Angela- These are our friends at Forrester, remember, Tommy?

James- Thank you so much for agreeing to this meeting, Tommy.

_He clears his throat and stands up. Will also stands, holding several poster boards._

James- Ahem.

_He then proceeds to recite a clearly prewritten speech while Will holds up posters with relevant images that have been sloppily hand-drawn._

James- Since time immemorial, the schools of the Student's School League have been separate, each one in its own little bubble. Together, however, we have made the impossible possible! An unprecedented achievement- two schools united as one. This alliance has made us into the most powerful force Ashmount has ever seen! With this power, we can subjugate all other schools and create a unified state, the likes of which have never been seen before!

_He pauses dramatically, then relaxes._

James- So, yeah. Your guys' thoughts?

Will- Good job, James.

James- Thank you.

_Angela gives a short round of applause._

Tommy- Woah… so we're like… a big deal now.

Will- Welcome to the all-star squad, Tommy. We've united our schools' greatest political minds, but if we unite our militaries as well… nothing can stop us.

Angela- What exactly are you suggesting?

_Will holds up another poster._

James- A full-scale invasion of all other schools in the area. With our military power and tactical skill, they won't stand a chance.

Angela- Ultimate power over everything… that does sound tempting, doesn't it, Tommy?

Will- Of course, this won't go into action for a while. I think we all deserve some time to relax.

Tommy- And what happens after we control everything?

James- Well, you'll still be in charge over at Woodsworth just like right now, but Will and I will take care of all that lame administrative stuff. Ugh, it'll be _so much work_ , but someone has to oversee everything while you guys have the fun.

Angela- Sounds good to me. We wouldn't want to do that at all, _right Tommy_.

Tommy- Um, yeah. Sounds boring.

Will- Then, we can all relax and begin to groom our successors.

Tommy- Successors?

James- Yes, of course! A leader's only true mark on the world is their legacy. We must establish a ruling dynasty so that when we leave, all our hard work won't drift off into the wind. Our state will last forever!

Tommy- Yeah… so is this state going to have a name?

Will- We're workshopping it. Currently we're debating between the Cross-Orwick Administrative Region or Jill Nation.

Angela- Hm, I like the second one. Anyways, we have assembly prep to do, but we'll be in touch about plans in the future.

James- Happy to hear it. And it was _so great_ to finally meet you, Tommy. I can tell you're gonna be a force to be reckoned with.

Tommy- Oh, um, thank you! Bye!

_The call ends and James and Will giggle excitedly and hug._

James- Ah, this is so exciting!

Will- We're gonna have it all!

James- Our descendants will rule eternally!

_Will raises his eyebrows._

Will- Descendants? How forward of you, James.

_James flushes._

James- Metaphorical descendants, Will! Oh my God!

_He rushes out._

Will- Aw, come on, James. I was joking!

_He runs after James, and we cut to a jewelry store. A truck pulls up outside of it and the Whisperer and several mobsters exit. They immediately use a bat to break a window and climb in as the alarm starts blaring. The Whisperer turns to several mobsters._

Whisperer- Guard the entrance.

_The Whisperer enters as other mobsters shoot out the cameras. The Whisperer's face contorts into fury as he moves throughout the store, smashing glass cases indiscriminately with his cane. The other mobsters grab jewels from all over the store and run back to the truck, stuffing them in. The Whisperer even smashes random glass on the ground, clearly angry. The Whisperer stops at one piece of jewelry: a silver brooch in the shape of a snake's head. He picks it up and brings it back to the truck, climbing in as he smiles._

Whisperer- Woo! I feel so much better!

_The truck drives away, and we cut to it arriving in an alley, where we see the Whisperer's cardboard house. The mobsters exit, holding the jewels._

Mobster 1- This is where you live?

Whisperer- Yes, what about it?

Mobster 1- Nothing, nothing.

_The Whisperer indicates them to an empty trash can, which they empty the jewels into and put the lid on._

Mobster 2- If you just wanted to vent, can't we just have the jewels?

_The Whisperer indicates to his cardboard house._

Whisperer- I think I need them a little more than you. I already told you where the cash was, now get out!

_The mobsters shrug and get back in the truck diving away. The Whisperer lays down in the cardboard house, examining the brooch. He stares off, twiddling the brooch in his hands, and we cut to AJ and Hannah investigating a classroom._

Hannah- Ugh, I don't see anything in here.

AJ- Just some awful notes about puberty… I hate health class

_Hannah sees something in a closet._

Hannah- Wait… what's this?

_She pulls out a strange device connected to wires and plugged in. AJ comes over._

AJ- I've never seen anything like-

_Hannah presses a button on the machine, which is pointing towards AJ, and he immediately goes rigid._

AJ- What do you want me to do?

Hannah- Excuse me?

AJ- What do you want me to do?

_Hannah's eyes widen._

Hannah- Raise your hand.

_AJ does so._

Hannah- Spin around.

_AJ does so. Surprised, Hannah presses the button again, and AJ comes to his senses._

AJ- What the heck?

Hannah- It must be some kind of hypnotism tech.

_AJ's eyes widen._

AJ- That must be what Constance used to cause the attacks. Those students were speaking awfully robotically.

Hannah- But then why wouldn't she just use this on James and Will?

AJ- Too inconvenient. They would never let a device like this get near them. Plus, look at how clunky it is. Impossible to set up without being suspicious.

Hannah- Of course! This universe can make hypnotism technology but we can't make hypnotism technology that doesn't need to be plugged in.

AJ- Speaking of which… where could Constance have gotten something so advanced?

_He grabs it and looks at a label that says LievTech. He groans._

Hannah- LievTech? What does that have to do with anything? They make all kinds of technology.

AJ- We may have crossed paths with Mr. Liev at some point. He isn't exactly our biggest fan.

Hannah- So Constance allied with him to cause these attacks and take power for herself!

AJ- And when we started investigating, she used this technology to frame us!

Hannah- In hindsight, it seems rather obvious.

AJ- Regardless, once James and Will find out, she and Mr. Liev will be punished severely.

Unknown Voice- Don't be so sure.

_AJ and Hannah whirl around to see Constance blocking the doorway._

_End episode._


	28. Rule the School S2E9

**Episode Nine: The Assembly**

Synopsis: Angela runs into some trouble at the school assembly, and Lauren comes home.

_We open on the Whisperer staring into a mirror. Then we see Angela applying her makeup in another room. She walks out and is joined by Tommy and Phillip. They make their way through the school as we see the students all going towards the auditorium. As they enter, they are given goodie bags by a large hooded figure. The Whisperer stands up and puts on his cape. Angela, Tommy, and Phillip stand at the front of the crowd._

Phillip- Welcome, students of Woodsworth, to the first Friendship Assembly!

Angela- You're welcome for the goodie bags, by the way. Each one has a friendship bracelet hand-made by us!

_Tommy clears his throat._

Tommy- And now, we will take a short break before the assembly begins!

_The students start chatting, and Angela and Phillip turn to Tommy, confused._

Angela- What's going on? Why did you stop it?

Tommy- Look… he's not here.

_Angela and Phillip scan the crowd. Angela snaps her fingers and guards come to her side._

Angela- Check the crowd. See if our friend decided to come.

_The guards scan the crowd and we see the Whisperer walking along the second floor of the school. The guards frantically push through students as Angela looks slightly panicked. The guards eventually return._

Guard- Nothing.

_Angela nervously laughs._

Angela- Phillip, I think you'd better go get our guest.

_Phillip nods and takes off, two guards in tow. Angela faces the crowd._

Angela- Thank you for your patience, everyone! We're just waiting for one more attendee before we begin!

_We see Phillip walking down the hallway, but then he notices the hooded figure from the doorway suspiciously walking away. Phillip's eyes narrow and he goes after him, his guards following. The Whisperer comes from the shadows above and watches them go. Then he pulls out his phone. Phillip sees the hooded figure go into a door that leads to a staircase going down into darkness._

Phillip- Come on.

_They nervously go down into the darkness. They are walking down a long hallway, and suddenly a shadow flits in the back, eliciting a scream from one guard, who disappears. Phillip turns around._

Phillip- What?! Where are you?

_The other guard places a hand on Phillip's shoulder._

Guard- Be careful, sir. Whoever's here is clearly dangerous.

_The guard slowly walks towards the darkness that the other guard disappeared into, and we hear another yell, and then silence. Phillip is freaking out, and starts running in the opposite direction. We see Angela looking more nervous._

Angela- Tommy, Phillip's been gone too long. Something's going on.

Tommy- Relax. The Whisperer will be apprehended, and then we can move on with this assembly.

Angela- No, really. I think we should leave.

Tommy- No! We're not going to live in fear of the Whisperer anymore. _We_ have the power now.

_Angela is clearly frantic, and we go back to Phillip running. He is grabbed by the back on his shirt, and he turns around to reveal Edward stepping from the shadows. Phillip starts to yell, but his mouth is covered and he is picked up as Edward walks away. Then we see the Whisperer looking out the window, which is now tinted with red and blue lights from the street. We see Angela turn towards the crowd._

Angela- We need to go!

_The students start to panic and try to leave, but Tommy indicates to the doors._

Tommy- Guards!

_The guards block off the door, and Angela turns towards Tommy._

Angela- Tommy! What are you doing?

Tommy- Everything will be fine! He can't hurt us anymore!

_Angela looks up through the doorway to see the Whisperer looking down at her from the second floor, without the eye patch. He walks away, and Angela is visibly shaken. Then the hydraulic elevator in the center of the auditorium starts to whir. Angela's head sharply turns towards it as it finally does its intended job of raising something dramatically, in this case a tiny piece of paper. Angela lifts it up, and the music cuts out as she reads the two words written on it, "Love, Alan." Then, suddenly, the doorways are filled with policemen bursting through the guards._

Policeman- Where are the jewels?

_Angela goes pale and she looks towards the goodie bag, her hand shaking as she pulls out a friendship bracelet with jewels embedded in it. The policemen spot the jewels in her hand._

Policeman- There! Where's the rest of them?

_Slowly, some students pull jewels from their own goodie bags._

Policeman- These are priceless! Where did you get these!

_There is a moment of hesitation, but then the students point up at the stage towards Tommy and Angela._

Student- These bracelets came from them!

Student- Yeah! They said they were gonna make them themselves!

_The policemen come up to the stage as Angela vehemently shakes her head._

Angela- No, no, no! This isn't right! It wasn't us!

Policeman- You're gonna argue with all these students?

Tommy- You don't understand! Someone else made these for us!

Whisperer- Indeed, I did!

_The crowd parts to reveal the Whisperer walking towards the stage._

Whisperer- I was told to make those bracelets by these two, but how could I know that the fake jewels they provided me were actually priceless!

Policeman- Thank you for tipping us off, sir. I never would have suspected school children capable of capital theft! They'll both be in juvie for quite a while!

Whisperer- Quite a shame, quite a shame. Their entire youth, gone with a single mistake. Now… I'm always happy to help out our boys in blue, but this has been extremely traumatic, so… might I expect a reward?

Policeman- For recovering stolen goods this priceless! I think you can expect a hearty sum!

Whisperer- No, I had something else in mind. One of the less valuable goods, I believe.

Policeman- Well, you can talk with the store owner, but I'm sure they'll agree.

_The Whisperer smiles as he pulls out the silver snake brooch and pins it to his chest._

Whisperer- Thank you _ever_ so much.

_The cops turn to Angela and Tommy._

Policeman- You two are coming with us.

_They are herded along. Angela turns her head to see the Whisperer smiling right at her. She bows her head, defeated, as she and Tommy are escorted out of the auditorium. The crowd is speechless, and the Whisperer takes the eye patch out of his pocket and puts it back on._

Whisperer- Hello, everyone!

_We cut to AJ and Hannah tied up in chairs in a classroom._

AJ- Ugh, why haven't James and Will visited us by now? I'm sure Constance has told them..

Hannah- Constance can't let them see us! If they do, she knows we'll reveal her secret agenda.

AJ- I can't believe she was in league with Mr. Liev. That guy is like, from season one!

Hannah- Regardless, I don't know how we're going to get out of this predicament.

AJ- I don't suppose there's another convenient fruit cart around here?

_Hannah laughs._

Hannah- Well, we had a good run. It was nice to work with someone else again. I haven't since… well, you know.

AJ- Eh, you weren't so much working with me as helping us out of situations caused by my stupidity.

Hannah- You're not stupid…

_AJ smiles._

AJ- Thanks, Hannah.

_Suddenly, we hear sounds from outside the door._

Hannah- What?

_The door suddenly opens to reveal Lauren standing over some knocked-out guards._

AJ- Lauren!

Lauren- Ah, there you are, AJ! Everyone's been looking for you.

Hannah- How did you find us?

Lauren- That woman Constance is _sooo_ suspicious. I knew she was up to something. I decided to investigate. I wasn't expecting to find you, though. Why would Constance keep you guys here instead of telling James and Will?

Hannah- Because we found out her plan! She's been using Liev technology to hypnotize students and try to take down James and Will!

_Lauren notices Hannah for the first time._

Lauren- Hannah? Why are you here?

AJ- We'll explain later. All you need to know is that she's on our side. Constance framed us, so now the whole school is after us!

Lauren- Got that right. I didn't believe it for a second though. Even if you did want to betray James and Will, you wouldn't know where to begin!

Hannah- Hey!

_Lauren raises her eyebrows._

Lauren- But I guess James and Will are too busy gawking at each other to notice Constance's obvious villainy.

AJ- We can show them evidence! Get us out of here!

_Lauren rolls her eyes._

Lauren- Well, since you asked so nicely.

_We cut to them running through a hallway. AJ is holding the hypnotism device. An announcement sounds over the intercom._

Intercom- All students please report to your classrooms for final exams.

_They begin to approach James and Will._

James- And we still need to shore up the defenses in case AJ and Hannah try and come back.

Will- Uh-huh. Why don't we let someone else do that, and _we_ can go-

AJ- James! Will!

_James and Will turn around and their eyes widen._

James- Guards!

AJ- Oh, shoot!.

_Three guards rush forwards and Lauren takes them on. She kicks the first in the chest, sweeps the second's legs, but is then pinned to the floor by the third. Hannah comes in, slapping the guard's face back and forth with her purse until Lauren gets up and tosses him over her back._

Lauren- Nice save, Hannah.

_Hannah nods curtly._

Hannah- Thank you.

James- Lauren? You've joined with the traitors.

_Lauren growls._

Lauren- Ugh, don't you guys get it by now?

_AJ hands James the device._

AJ- It's like we've been saying. Constance is behind the attacks, not us. This device hypnotizes people! That's why the students were acting so odd.

_James points the device towards Will and activates it. Will goes stiff._

James- Tell me something you've never told anyone.

_Will speaks without hesitation._

Will- I have a picture of James Orwick by my bed.

_James deactivates the device and Will gasps._

Will- What happened?

_James is laughing a lot._

James- The device is real, that's what matters. And from Mr. Liev, no less. He'll pay for-

Constance- Stop it!

_They turn to see Constance holding a remote._

Constance- Nobody is paying for anything! It's too late now! I've installed devices in every classroom in this school!

Will- What?

Constance- The entire school under my control, with just one click.

James- No!

_Constance presses a button on the remote and speaks into it._

Constance- Destroy James, Will, and their allies.

_There is a rumbling from around the school, and the heroes look around nervously._

AJ- Run!

_They begin to run away as students pour out of every classroom running at them._

Hannah- We need to get that remote. It seems to be her link to the students.

Will- Yes, but how are we going to get through all of them?

_They see Constance watching from the second floor._

Lauren- I'll hold them off. You guys get to Constance.

_The others take off for the staircase while Lauren lets out a whistle. We see dramatic shots as all the deputies hear her call. Mr. Garcia is cradling his baby, which he immediately tosses aside as he runs to help Lauren. The deputies all arrive with Lauren and they strike a dramatic pose before taking on the ensuing mob of students. James, Will, AJ, and Hannah arrive on the second floor and run after Constance. James and Will run to try and get the remote, but are quickly picked up and tossed aside by Constance._

AJ- James! Will!

_He runs to try and help them up, but Constance kicks him to the side. Constance advances towards Hannah and pushes her to the ground, knocking her purse near AJ. Constance leers over Hannah._

Constance- All this work, and you're going to end right where you started- imprisoned and alone.

AJ- She's not alone!

_Constance turns as AJ tosses Hannah's purse to her. Hannah quickly rummages and pulls out some pepper spray, spraying it in Constance's face. Constance shrieks and flies back, tossing the remote up in the process. James catches the remote and stands up, throwing it on the ground. Will crushes it with his foot, and on the ground floor, the students suddenly stop attacking. James surveys the chaos._

James- AJ, Hannah… I owe you an apology.

Hannah- I should think so! We had to row a fruit cart across the lake!

Will- Excuse me?

AJ- Never mind. Just remember that I'm done betraying you, James. We’re friends… I thought you would know better.

_James smiles._

James- To be honest, I never really bought it either.

_He and AJ embrace, and Will walks over to Hannah._

Will- Well, Miss Goldenshire, you've certainly proved yourself resourceful. We could use someone like you here at Forrester.

_He extends a hand. Hannah hesitates, then takes it._

James- Of course, we'll have to contact Mr. Liev about these devices. I want every single one destroyed, they'd just be convenient for the plot in the future. I prefer old-fashioned manipulation.

_They all laugh. A messenger approaches._

Messenger- Um, excuse me.

Will- Yes, go ahead.

Messenger- I have some news from Woodsworth.

_We see shots of CSI banners being torn down and other changes occurring at Woodsworth as we hear the Whisperer's internal monologue._

Whisperer (internal monologue)- Sometimes, you back yourself into a corner. You get into a situation where there's no way you win the game. Some choose to lose, choose to give up all they've worked for. But that's not the way I see it. When there's no way to win the game… you just have to change the rules. That's just how you rule the school.

_We see the Whisperer leaning against a wall in his office, gazing into nothing. Edward approaches._

Whisperer- Wondering what I'm thinking, Edward?

_Edward says nothing, but the Whisperer still laughs._

Whisperer- Oh, Edward, you always were a joker.

_He falls silent for another moment, then begins to sing._

Whisperer- **I just can't explain this feeling that's washing over me. Is it ecstasy, is it sadness? No, wait, now I see.**

_He exits his office as Edward pulls a trumpet from nowhere and starts to play._

Whisperer **\- Satisfaction, satisfaction. Satisfaction, satisfaction. I did it, I got it, I won the day! Now make way!**

_He is joined by other students as they dance through the hallways._

Whisperer **\- Satisfaction, satisfaction. Satisfaction, satisfaction. They never saw it coming, it all went as planned. Now I've got this school… back in my hand.**

_They walk downstairs for even more students to join them. The Whisperer steps on Edward's massive hands like a staircase as he continues singing._

Whisperer **\- I knew it'd be a challenge, but one I would defeat. It turns out I was ri-i-ight, and now they're both dead meat! Satisfaction…ooh, satisfaction.**

_He leaps down and surfs the crowd as they sing along to the 'satisfactions.'_

Whisperer- **Satisfaction, satisfaction. Satisfaction, satisfaction. I did it, I got it, I won the day. Now make way! Satisfaction, satisfaction. Satisfaction, satisfaction. They fell into my trap, they both got conned, and I never worried… for a second.**

_Edward's trumpeting gets more lively as the Whisperer jumps on a table and performs a tap dance for the watching crowd, spinning his cane and tossing his arms wide._

Whisperer- **They underestimated me, that was their one mistake! But then they let their guard down, and that's a chance… that I'm gonna take.**

_He leaps down, punctuated by a trumpet beat._

Whisperer- **They thought that they could bring me down, I mean… for God's sake. But now I'm back up on the top, and I've got plans… that I've gotta make.**

_The entire school dances out to the courtyard, everyone turning for a while to dance with a partner. The Whisperer dances with Edward._

Everyone- **Satisfaction, satisfaction! Satisfaction, satisfaction!**

_The other students continue chanting those words while the Whisperer sings._

Whisperer- **Satisfaction! Ooh, satisfaction! Satisfactiooooon! Satisfaction… I woooon! But the war…**

Student Section 1- **But the war…**

Student Section 2- **But the war…**

Student Section 3- **But the war…**

Whisperer- **Has just begun.**

_The lively music is still playing as we pan up from the crowd in the courtyard to the starlit sky they are facing, and, across the lake, Forrester._

_End episode._


	29. Rule the School S2E10

**Episode Ten: This Means War**

Synopsis: Preparations are made.

_We open with dramatic beats as we see Forrester. We see the inside, and there are posters with the Whisperer's face lining the walls. Then we see James, Will, Charlotte, AJ, Hannah, and Lauren pacing down a hallway and entering a room. James slams his hands down on the table._

James- This is reprehensible! Getting outside authorities involved in school business… it's unheard of!

_Will nods gravely._

Will- He's taken Angela from us, he's broken the unspoken rules of politics… this cannot go on.

Charlotte- I contacted the other schools in the League like you requested, but none of them answered. It seems like nobody wants to get involved with this conflict.

James- It looks like it's just us and Whisperer in this war.

AJ- What are we going to do?

Will- Well, we might start with some spies, then we can send in some sleeper agents and-

_Lauren interrupts from the back, speaking for the first time._

Lauren- I don't think so.

_She advances on James and Will._

Lauren- No more sneaky backstabbing. We tried that, and now my friend is in juvie for five years! This time, we're doing it my way.

_Hannah also pipes up._

Hannah- Lauren's right. Politics haven't gotten any of us anywhere. I know the Whisperer, and we can't beat him at his own game. We have to end this now, and we have to end this with force.

_Lauren nods._

Lauren- Listen to what's-her-name!

_James and Will look at each other, and Will sighs._

Will- I suppose we always knew it would come to this…

James- It's war, then.

_We cut to Phillip waking up strapped to a table in a small dark room. He gasps, then notices the Whisperer looming over him._

Whisperer- Hello…

Phillip- Wha… where am I? What are you doing?

Whisperer- You've certainly found yourself in a precarious situation, haven't you?

Phillip- You can't keep me here, you know! Angela, Tommy, the CSI- they'll hunt you down!

_The Whisperer laughs._

Whisperer- Oh, they would, wouldn't they? Sadly, all of them are no longer with us.

_Phillip is shocked, and the Whisperer grabs his face._

Whisperer- You made a grave error, my friend. You conspired with my enemies, deposed me, tortured me for days, and _you sold my friend._

Phillip- You're a monster… we punished you accordingly.

Whisperer- Oh, I do so appreciate a sense of justice in my enemies. That's why I'll punish you accordingly as well.

_He snaps his fingers, and Edward ominously appears beside him. Phillip is visibly scared._

Whisperer- I believe you've met my friend here. You two will be becoming quite acquainted in the coming weeks…months…years.

_He turns around and starts to walk out._

Phillip- No, you can't do this! Stop this now! STOP THIS!

_Phillip's screams are cut off as the Whisperer shuts the door behind him. Then we cut to the others observing James as he uses a remote control. We see that he is piloting a drone through Woodsworth._

James- We may be doing things the violent way, Lauren, but some espionage is still required.

_The drone barely makes it into the courtyard of Woodsworth before it is smacked out of the sky._

Will- What?

_The drone is lifted up and turned around so they can see that the Whisperer is holding it. Lauren growls._

Whisperer- _Hello_ , friends! I'm so flattered you wanted to see what I was up to.

Lauren- Shut it down.

Will- It's broken, I can't!

Whisperer- Let's give you the grand tour, shall we?

_He points the drone camera forwards, walking through Woodsworth. They arrive at a group of soldiers training with various weapons._

Whisperer- Here's my loyal army. They're training hard for the coming war, you know.

_He shows them another group of soldiers that is shooting at some students tied to the wall._

Whisperer- Here's some of those spies you had at Woodsworth before I got back in power. We're having so much fun with them!

_He shows them a table with a picture on Angela on it surrounded by flowers._

Whisperer- And here's our memorial to our dear departed former leader. We miss her greatly.

_He throws the drone to the ground._

Whisperer- We'll all miss you too once you're gone.

_He smashes the drone with his cane, and the feed cuts out. The gang is silent for a second, then James sighs and stands up._

James- Oh, he is _so_ dead.

_We cut to Lauren making an announcement in front of the student body._

Lauren- This is the largest military conflict in the history of Ashmount, everyone! No able-bodied student will stay off the battlefield! Everyone will fight for the honor of Forrester!

Student- Um, yeah, that's great, but what else is in it for us?

_Lauren's eyes narrow and she leaps down from the stage, advancing towards the unlucky student. She elbows his stomach, sweeps his leg, and shoots him several times for good measure._

Lauren- Any other questions?

_The crowd is silent._

Lauren- Good. Let's get to work.

_We see shots of the students training with Lauren's gang, each deputy training them in their own weapons. We see Lauren going ham on a punching bag. Then we see the students lining up in rows and being outfitted with chest, elbow, and knee armor. Lauren throws a knife at a picture of the Whisperer, then puts on a shiny silver helmet. We see students preparing the school yacht by the lake with weapons and ammo. Forrester is completely transformed into an army base. Then we cut to the main gang sitting around a table with a large map of the area laid out. Hannah is applying war paint to AJ's face. James takes some game pieces representing troops and pushes them across the board._

James- We only have one yacht, so a naval attack from the lake won't be possible. We'll have to go around.

Will- But which side to go from?

Charlotte- We can't engage him on the beach, there's too many pedestrians for us to clear out. Forrester sponsors Pine Park, so we can shut it down for the day. It's the only option.

_Lauren nods._

Lauren- Plus, the park is full of foliage. We can have the element of surprise.

Hannah- But so can the Whisperer.

Will- The vast majority of both our and the Whisperer's troops have never seen real combat. Adding the forest into the mix might detract from our chances.

_AJ points to a patch of light green surrounded by dark green on three sides and blue on one side on the map._

AJ- What about here? It's an open field, but we can still use the forest if we want to.

Hannah- And it borders the lake, so we can use the yacht.

Charlotte- I like it.

_Everyone else nods._

James- Then it's decided. We march and set up camp tonight.

Lauren- The Whisperer has probably thought this through as well. He'll march as well.

Will- Then the battle begins tomorrow morning. We'll set up guards throughout the night to prevent an ambush.

James- Tell the army to start preparing.

_Lauren nods and leaves. Charlotte goes after her._

Charlotte- Hey…

Lauren- Yeah, what's going on, Char?

Charlotte- I just… wanted to make sure you were okay.

_Lauren sighs._

Lauren- I'll be fine once the Whisperer is taken care of once and for all.

Charlotte- I know you must be mad about Angela… she was our friend.

Lauren- I could've been there. If I didn't leave, maybe I could have stopped it…

Charlotte- It's not your fault, Lauren.

Lauren- I know, but…

_Charlotte pulls Lauren into a hug._

Charlotte- Let's go kick the Whisperer into next week. Would that make you feel better?

_Lauren smiles._

Lauren- Maybe a little.

_We cut to AJ practicing clumsily with a sword against a dummy. His grip loosens and the sword goes flying and it is caught by Hannah as she enters. AJ grins sheepishly as Hannah tosses it back to him._

AJ- Maybe I can just cheer from the sidelines at the battle?

Hannah- I think you just need a little practice.

_She picks up another foam sword from the wall and tests out the grip._

AJ- Yeah, maybe, or-

_Hannah suddenly rushes at AJ and he is forced to defend himself against her. Eventually, he is able to push her back as they clash._

Hannah- Wow, this is hard! I might be in over my head.

_AJ brings his sword back._

AJ- Oh, it's fine, we can just-

_Hannah sweeps his leg, pointing her sword down at him._

Hannah- Never let your guard down, AJ.

AJ- Well, I wouldn't normally! It was just you!

Hannah- Just me? I could still be a Woodsworth spy for all you know! Don't let the pretty face fool you, honey.

_She helps him up. AJ immediately tries to sweep her leg, but she steps back, and he falls into her. She holds his gaze._

Hannah- Don't get captured out there, AJ. Promise?

AJ- I could ask the same of you.

Hannah- Don't be silly! I'll be hiding behind you the whole time. Don't let me down, okay!

_She gives him a hug and walks off. AJ flushes, then turns back to the training dummy. Then we cut to James still sitting over the map table, almost falling asleep. Will comes from behind him._

Will- Hey there, Mr. Leader Man.

_James is startled awake._

James- Huh… oh, hey, Will. Just reviewing some strategy.

_Will puts his hands on James' shoulders._

Will- Stop stressing yourself out, James. Do you need to sleep on the way to Pine Park? I have some blankets I could-

_James suddenly gets up, pushing Will off of him._

James- You really don't ever take anything seriously, do you? Our asset, our _friend_ is behind bars, and you're still all smiles. Can you just stop doing… whatever you're doing and focus on the task at hand!?

_Will suddenly becomes very serious and advances on James._

Will- You think I'm not sad about Angela too? Unlike you, I can compartmentalize my emotions so they don't always distract me from my duties… like getting enough sleep before a battle.

James- You don't understand, Will. If you keep being so unfocused… I could lose you too.

_James sits down, and Will sits down beside him._

James- It's just all coming to me at once… these decisions that we make affect those below us so much. I sent Angela into Woodsworth… I sent her to defeat.

Will- James, Angela made her choice. You… we aren't at blame. It does no good to dwell on things we can't change. After all… we have our whole lives ahead of us…

_James cracks a smile._

James- Ah, yes: successes, failures, lies… what was the last one again?

_Will smiles._

Will- I forget.

_He stands up and offers his hand to James._

Will- I know that being a leader means making hard decisions. Trust me, I know how you feel more than anyone. But I'll be by your side for every single dumb thing you do.

_James rolls his eyes._

James- I couldn't have said it better myself.

Will- Now, there's one last thing I wanted to do.

_We cut to Angela in notably un-Angela-like unfashionable prison garb. She sits down at a visitation station, facing the rest of the crew. She picks up the phones._

James- We, uh… we really miss you Angela.

Will- Don't you worry, the Whisperer is getting what's coming to him.

Charlotte- Our strategy is sound, this will all be over soon.

Lauren- We'll avenge you swiftly and brutally.

AJ- I gave the lady at the front some makeup to give you.

Hannah- I'm Hannah, by the way.

_Angela is silent for a moment, then utters three words before walking away._

Angela- Kick his ass.

_We cut to drums beating as Woodsworth troops make their way through the forest. The Whisperer lounges in a palanquin carried by four other students. Both he and Edward are decked out in armor spray painted silver and green. He adjusts his snake pin and grins as they march, conducting in time to the marching and drum beats. Then we see the Forrester gang leading their army, decked in chrome blue armor. They are deadly serious, and we see a bird's eye view of the armies approaching the field in Pine Park._

_End episode._


	30. Rule the School S2E11

**Episode Eleven: Battle in Pine Park**

Synopsis: Forrester and Woodsworth meet on the battlefield to decide the fate of both schools.

_We open with shots of Pine Park at sunrise, seeing a bird's eye view of the blue Forrester tents and green Woodsworth tents on opposite sides of the field. Then we see the main gang asleep in a tent, except for Lauren, who has her eyes wide open. We hear a continuous ticking noise as she stares upwards. Suddenly, a horn sounds, and Lauren leaps up, kicking AJ._

Lauren- Get up, everyone! It's time!

_James, Will, AJ, Charlotte, and Hannah get up, and we see the army getting out from their tents. Lauren grabs her pistols and joins up with the deputies at the front of the army. We see the Woodsworth army lining up. The Whisperer starts to walk with the center of the battlefield. Lauren glares at him and fingers her pistols, but James pushes her arm down as he and Will walk forwards._

James- Hold on, Lauren. Let us give him one last chance to forfeit. Nobody needs to get hurt here.

_Lauren glares at James, but eventually relents. She tosses James and Will each a pistol from her belt._

Lauren- If he tries anything, remember that shooting lesson I gave you.

_James nods and he and Will walk to meet the Whisperer on the center of the battlefield._

Will- I think you know why we're-

Whisperer- Yes, yes. I'll gladly accept your surrender.

_He laughs, and James grits his teeth._

James- We're giving you one chance to give up. Instead of imprisoning you forever, you can get out of this town and bother some other school.

Whisperer- Oh, you _are_ funny, but I think we all know that it's too late to parlay.

_James and Will exchange a look._

Will- I suppose there's nothing left to be said, then.

Whisperer- Just know that nobody will come to save you when I win… just like you weren't there to save Angela.

_James' eyes widen and he grabs Will's arm and pulls him away. James, Will, and the Whisperer both back up to their separate armies. The Whisperer goes to speak to three new characters: Captain Quentin, Lydia, and Ben._

Whisperer- Prepare the yacht, Captain. The battle begins now.

Quentin- Yes, sir. Lydia, Benjamin.

_Ben rolls his eyes._

Ben- So formal, Quentin. Call me Ben.

Lydia- Time to destroy them! _The Serpent's Fang_ will not fall today!

_The crew go to board the Woodsworth yacht. The Whisperer grins._

Whisperer- Let's have some fun.

_James and Will walk to Lauren. Will shakes his head, and Lauren smiles and cracks her neck._

Lauren- Good. Let's finish this.

_She raises her arm and yells, and the rest of the Forrester army yells with her. James and Will walk to the back of the army, and we see the positions of all the characters. Charlotte is beside Lauren at the front of the army wielding a short blade. AJ is nearby, clearly nervous. Hannah is standing on the Forrester yacht as the weapons and cannons on it are prepared. Quentin, Lydia, and Ben prepare the Woodsworth yacht, which more resembles a pirate ship. The Whisperer eyes Lauren from across the battlefield and gives a wink before backing up behind the front lines. Lauren clenches her fist and thrusts her arm forwards._

Lauren- Charge!

_The Forrester army runs forwards, and the Whisperer signals his own army to do the same. We see Matthew at the head of a group of archers._

Matthew- Fire!

_A barrage of arrows hits the Woodsworth troops just before the armies clash. Lauren rushes through the enemy, punching and kicking before pulling out her pistols and charging through. Charlotte fights off a group of enemies as she is surrounded. AJ is overwhelmed by the first enemy he encounters until Lauren kicks the enemy off of him and helps him up. Mr. Garcia fires at a group of Woodsworth students while Gabriel shields him from shots. We see Carmen sitting in a tree shooting enemies from afar. Emily jumps off of Gabriel's shield and dives into a group of enemies. Then we see Hannah at the front of the Forrester yacht._

Hannah- Fire!

_The two ships open fire on each other, and Quentin winces as paint splatters the Woodsworth deck._

Quentin- Benjamin, deal with them!

_Ben nods and throws a rope around the Forrester mast, sliding across and landing on the deck. Several Forrester soldiers rush towards him, but he fends them off easily, knocking them aside with his blade and flipping over them. He begins to advance on Hannah as Lydia jumps down from the mast as well._

Ben- _Hello_ , darling.

Hannah- Get them!

_She gestures forwards as more guards rush towards them. Lydia and Ben fight them off as we see AJ looking towards the yacht._

AJ- No!

_He begins to make his way towards the yacht, yelling towards Mr. Garcia and Gabriel._

AJ- Cover me!

_Mr. Garcia and Gabriel run towards him and hold off the enemy as AJ runs towards the yacht, rushing up the ramp and on board. We see Hannah stumbling away as Lydia and Ben casually walk forwards, laughing._

Lydia- You should have come crawling back to the Whisperer when you had the chance, honey.

Ben- Now you're all alone, and when we bring you back to him… it won't be pretty.

_Hannah growls and rushes at him, but he jumps up and kicks her back. Hannah grunts and closes her eyes as Ben rushes forwards. She opens her eyes tentatively to see AJ clashing with Ben. AJ yells and pushes him back, and Ben flips backwards to catch his balance._

AJ- Get away!

Ben- Aw, he's cute. Can we keep him, Lydia?

_Lydia turns towards AJ and Hannah._

Lydia- Give it up already, Forrestites! You're finished.

Hannah- Forrestites? What does that make you?

Ben- Why, we're Woodsworthians, of course!

Hannah- That is literally the dumbest thing I've ever heard.

Lydia- Shut up!

_She opens fire on them, and AJ and Hannah dive to the side, hiding behind some crates._

Hannah- What are we gonna do?

AJ- Got anything in the purse?

_Hannah feels around in the clutch on her belt. She smiles and pulls out a giant shield, cartoonishly stretching out the clutch._

Hannah- How's this?

AJ- Perfect.

Ben- Come out, come out!

_Ben suddenly jumps over the crate, landing on the shield._

Ben- What?

_Hannah shoves him back and she and AJ round the corner. Lydia fires on the shield, trying to back up, but Hannah and AJ advance on her. They turn around, allowing AJ to strike her with his sword, knocking her back. Hannah bashes an advancing Quentin back, and both Woodsworthians leap from the yacht and back onto the battlefield._

Lydia- This isn't over, Forrestites!

_Ben makes a 'call-me' gesture before both of them run away. AJ whistles, summoning more Forrester soldiers to advance up the ramp to the yacht._

AJ- Board them!

_A bridge is lowered connecting the two yachts. Woodsworth soldiers begin to run across into the defending Forrester soldiers, and Hannah and AJ join the fight. We cut to James and Will observing the battle from afar with some reserve troops. They notice a large amount of Woodsworth troops in the back line._

James- It seems the Whisperer kept most of his army in the rear.

Will- Yes, but they're doing a great job of keeping us occupied with their smaller force. We must do something.

James- Cavalry!

_Students on all fours with roller skates rolls up. James and Will each mount a 'horse' and roll down the hill, swinging spears as they crash through the Woodsworth army that surrounds the Forrester army, allowing the Forrester army to push faster to the large back line. However, James is knocked from his mount and falls to the ground. He is immediately protected by Emily and Matthew as he struggles to get his footing. Will yells out, but he is pushed away by other enemies._

Emily- Sir, are you okay?

_James groans and rubs his head, looking around._

James- I need to get out of here. The middle of a battle is no place for a leader.

_He finally sees a Forrester student in a wheelchair rolling through the battlefield, firing at Woodsworth soldiers._

James- Perfect.

_He runs towards the student._

Matthew- Sir, no!

_James leaps on the back of the wheelchair, steering it to crash through Woodsworth soldiers then spinning it to fire at multiple enemies. However, he eventually spins it too fast, sending the student flying out._

James- Sorry.

_He stands on the seat of the wheelchair, moving quickly out of the main fray before dismounting as Will emerges from the battle as well on his mount._

Will- Push towards the back line, everyone!

James- Where's Lauren?

_They look closer to the Woodsworth back line, where Lauren is isolated and taking on a large number of enemies at once._

Will- She's in over her head!

_He looks towards Charlotte on the battlefield._

Will- Charlotte!

_He points towards Lauren._

Will- Help her!

_Charlotte looks alarmed and starts to make her way towards Lauren. We cut to Lauren taking on the enemy, firing wildly before throwing aside her weapons and leaping on an enemy soldier, beating him wildly. She gets up to encounter Xavier, her old friend from Woodsworth._

Xavier- Lauren… I never I thought we'd find ourselves facing each other.

Lauren- You should have joined Forrester when you had the chance.

Xavier- I think you know that wasn't an option.

_Lauren rolls her eyes._

Lauren- Don’t really care, though.

_She engages with him, kicking his knees. He growls and pushes her back. He snaps his fingers, summoning more soldiers. Lauren fights some off, but eventually they pile onto her. Lauren yells, but eventually they are hauled off of her by Charlotte. Charlotte helps her up._

Charlotte- Next time, stick with the team.

_Lauren grumbles._

Lauren- I had it.

Charlotte- _Sure._

_More Forrester soldiers, including Carmen, stream in to help Charlotte and Lauren out as they fight. Then we see James and Will throwing out commands from the back and the soldiers following them._

James- Concentrate down the center!

Will- Auxiliary units, trap them from the sides.

_Suddenly, absurd paintball catapults roll up beside them._

Student- The catapults are ready, sirs.

James- Perfect… fire!

_The catapults hurl large projectiles into the Woodsworth lines._

Will- The day belongs to us! Capture carts, move forwards.

_Forrester students push carts forwards, loading knocked-down Woodsworth soldiers and taking them back as prisoners. We see AJ and Hannah landing on the Woodsworth yacht, facing down Quentin, who brandishes his sword and pistol._

Quentin- Bring it on! I am the captain of the _Serpent's Fang_ , and I _shall_ prevail.

_AJ and Hannah rush at him, but he easily fends off AJ's blows and leaps backwards, opening fire on the shield. He rushes to the wheel, turning it rapidly, causing AJ and Hannah to lose their balance. He runs towards them and knocks the shield from Hannah's hand. He presses down on AJ, whose strength is failing him when they hear a noise. Quentin looks up to see James and Will riding their mounts over a ramp, landing on the Woodsworth yacht and knocking Quentin back with their spears. AJ and Hannah get up._

AJ- Thanks, you guys.

_James ignores him and turns to a nearby Forrester photographer._

James- Did you get that?

Photographer- Yes. What caption were you thinking?

James- How about, "Heroic Forrester Leaders Save Weak Underlings From Certain Doom?"

Hannah- Hey, we had it under control!

_They are interrupted by Quentin, who is turning the yacht towards the center of the lake._

Quentin- You've won this time, but this war is not over!

_The ship begins to sail away, and a soldier throws a rope down from the Forrester ship. James and Will ride their mounts over a ramp to the Forrester yacht while AJ leaps and grabs the rope, holding Hannah's hand as they both swing over. AJ notices something on the battlefield._

AJ- What is that?

_Hannah look as we see the Forrester forces being scattered by some unstoppable force._

Hannah- Fire at the enemy in the northeast!

_The yacht's cannons blast aside the other enemies to reveal Edward barreling through the battlefield. Lauren points at him._

Lauren- Get him!

_The deputies rush into action. Carmen fires on Edward from a tree, but Edwards hurls a rock at the base of the tree, knocking her out. Gabriel rushes at him, hitting him with both the shield and sword. Matthew's arrow hits Edward in the face, and he narrows his eyes, picking up Gabriel and tossing him at Matthew, sending them both sprawling to the ground. Emily appears behind him from a cloud of paint, stabbing at him with no effect. She is tossed aside as well. Mr. Garcia commands a squad of gunners._

Mr. Garcia- Concentrate fire!

_Edward is hit by a barrage of paintballs, but does not react. Charlotte turns to Lauren._

Charlotte- Hey! Those aren't the rules! He's cheating!

_Lauren shrugs._

Lauren- Guess we'll have to find something that can hurt him for real.

_She looks towards a nearby tree._

Lauren- I've got an idea.

_We cut to James, Will, and AJ observing the battle, having left the yacht._

Will- Ah, so Edward finally shows his face. His boss is still hiding behind the backline, though.

James- We'll deal with him soon enough. AJ, take a team to scout the forest. We want as many captured as possible.

AJ- You got it.

_He takes off for the forest with a small team. We cut to Edward advancing towards Mr. Garcia, pushing him to the ground and moving towards him when Lauren leaps in front nowhere and brutally slams Edward's chin with a giant tree branch. He grunts and rubs his chin as Lauren unleashes a barrage of blows, each of which lands with a resounding thud._

Lauren- This is what you get when you don't play by the rules!

_She aims for the side of Edward's head, but he ducks and grabs the branch, snapping it in half. However, Charlotte dives under his legs and grabs the other half, attacking him from behind as Lauren assaults from the front. He tries to turn around, but Charlotte sweeps his legs. As he tries to ride, Charlotte and Lauren yell and slam him in the head from both sides, knocking him out cold. Charlotte cheers._

Charlotte- That was awesome!

Lauren- Just like one of your animes!

Charlotte- Now let's take that backline!

_They rush towards the backline, who are firing guns robotically and wearing hoodies. Lauren tackles a few to the ground, and Charlotte beats one up before they realize the guns are still firing._

Charlotte- What the…

_They look over at the bodies and see that they are in fact piles of assorted books, pillows, mannequins, etc. The guns are hooking up with wire and rope to fire._

Lauren- What is this?

_AJ comes running from the forest, breathless._

AJ- Run!

_He is soon followed by a huge Woodsworth force, led by the Whisperer, who is lounging on his back carried by four other students. He blows a kiss to James and Will._

Whisperer- Miss me, boys?

_The Woodsworth force begins to surround the Forrester force. Hannah looks horrified from the yacht._

Hannah- Fire on them!

_The yacht begins to make some dents in the Woodsworth forces when we hear a voice from behind._

Lydia- Board them!

_We see the Woodsworth yacht, approaching from behind. Ben, Lydia, and Quentin all slide across, along with a newly rebolstered crew._

Quentin- You didn't think that was all our crew, did you?

_Three soldiers rush towards Lydia, but she smiles, quick-drawing and shooting all of them down. Ben rushes towards Hannah, knocking her sword from her hands and forcing her to run away._

Ben- Come again soon!

Lydia- Disable their weapons!

_The Forrester yacht stops firing as Hannah flees. We see Lauren and Charlotte separated in the chaos, and Lauren tries to fight as many enemies as possible before Gabriel rushes in front of her._

Gabriel- Get out of here, Lauren! They need you!

_The other deputies arrive to escort Lauren out as she resists all the way. As they reach the edge of the battle, the Whisperer directs a group of enemies towards Lauren. Mr. Garcia puts her down as the deputies prepare to fight._

Mr. Garcia- This is as far as we go. Run, Lauren.

Lauren- I won't leave all of you behind! You'll be overwhelmed!

_Mr. Garcia smiles and utters his famous catchphrase._

Mr. Garcia- All in a day's work for my little sheriff.

_He pushes her away as the battle closes around them. Lauren tries to run back in, but she is picked up by Charlotte as she rides away on a large mount, dragging Lauren up with her._

Lauren- No! No! No!

_Charlotte keeps her eyes down. We see James and Will watching speechlessly as everything falls apart. AJ, Hannah, Charlotte, and Lauren arrive besides them wordlessly. The Whisperer towers over the battlefield as both the Forrester and Woodsworth yachts, now both under his control, pull away from the lake. We see shots of the battlefield as we hear an internal monologue._

James (internal monologue)- You can plan for every possibility, but there's always something you miss.

Will (internal monologue)- You can have all the best resources, but something will always trip you up.

James (internal monologue)- And when you try to fight back, sometimes you just get knocked right back onto your face.

Will (internal monologue)- And all the hope you built up dissolves in an instant, grains of sand floating away in the wind.

_We see a shot of the Whisperer's satisfied smile._

Whisperer (internal monologue)- But hey, that's just how you rule the school.

_End episode._


	31. Rule the School S2E12

**Episode Twelve: Valley of Violence**

Synopsis: The Forrester gang turns to an unexpected place for assistance.

_We open on James and Will on a balcony in Forrester looking over the lake and beyond to Woodsworth. Charlotte, Lauren, AJ, and Hannah approach from behind._

AJ- Um…

_James and Will whirl around, completely distraught._

James- What?

Hannah- What are we going to do?

Will- What can we do? The Whisperer captured a large number of our forces, and he'll march any minute now. There's nothing we can do.

_Charlotte pipes up._

Charlotte- Actually, I'm not so sure about that.

Will- Excuse me?

Charlotte- I've been doing some calculations, and though we definitely lost the battle, we still captured a decent amount of Woodsworth troops. I don't think the Whisperer will strike right away. He'll marshal until he's guaranteed victory.

James- I mean, that's something, but there's no way we can prepare an adequate defense.

Charlotte- No, but we _can_ seek out allies.

Will- Allies? There are no allies left.

Hannah- The other schools…

James- Impossible. They didn't answer our call.

Charlotte- For Barkbury, that may be the case, yes. But Maple Valley hasn't been in communication with _anyone_ for years… not since their previous leader left for college.

Lauren- You think something's happened there.

Charlotte- I think there's only one way to find out.

James- It's a fool's errand. What if they don't help us?

AJ- No, she's right. We don't have any other options at this point.

Hannah- Plus, Maple Valley was always known for their military. If we can convince them to help us, the tides of this war may yet shift.

_James and Will look at each other and sigh._

James- So be it.

_We cut to the Whisperer lounging in a chair at Woodsworth, fiddling with his snake pin and humming to himself. A messenger approaches._

Messenger- Um… sir. Our agents spotted a car coming out of Forrester… and towards the valley.

_The Whisperer turns his head sharply, but begins to smile._

Whisperer- So our friends are trying to get the upper hand… how cute.

_He giggles maniacally, visibly concerning the messenger. He abruptly stops and gestures away._

Whisperer- Away with you!

_The messenger scampers away, and the Whisperer starts to laugh again, but stops._

Whisperer- Ugh! The moment's ruined!

_We cut to a car pulling up out a new school: Maple Valley. James, Will, AJ, Hannah, Charlotte, and Lauren get out of the car._

Lauren- I feel weird leaving Forrester undefended. Let's hope this is quick.

James- Relax. This is just a diplomatic mission; it shouldn't last too long.

Charlotte- Let's just go.

_Charlotte throws open the gates reveal utter chaos within the courtyard of the school. Students are brawling with each other and utilizing foam weapons. James, Will, AJ, Charlotte, and Hannah are horrified._

Hannah- Oh my _god_. What happened here?

_They turn to the side to see Lauren with the biggest grin ever._

Lauren- I'm going to have some fun here.

_She immediately dives into the brawl, biting and scratching and kicking._

James- Lauren, wait! Don't leave us!

_James ducks to the side as a Maple Valley brawler dives at him. Charlotte disgustedly kicks one attacker to the side._

Charlotte- Where is the order here? Who's in charge?

_AJ struggles with an attacker._

AJ- Hannah, a little help here? Got anything in the purse?

Hannah- Let me check…

_Hannah rummages in the purse, pulling out a sword and tossing it to AJ, pulling out a giant shield for herself, a spear for James, and a trident for Will._

Charlotte- Hey, what about me?

Hannah- Sorry, my purse only has room for _four_ weapons, not five.

_Charlotte rolls her eyes and continues fighting unarmed._

James- You really expect me to fight? This is a job for a peasant, not an esteemed leader like-

_He screams as an enemy charges at him before Will pushes him out the way with his trident._

Will- Normally I'd agree with you, James, but under the circumstances, we don't really have a choice!

_James sighs and begins to fight._

James- Do we get _any_ privileges as rulers?

_We see Lauren having the time of her life fighting off various enemies from all directions. More and more Maple Valley students flow in from inside to join the brawl, and we see a bird's eye view of the giant battle from above. As Will hits aside another enemy, his eyes narrow as he observes the battle. He pulls James aside and walks him up to higher ground._

James- Ugh, what is it, Will? I was just starting to have fun.

Will- Oh, shush. Look…

_He points towards the battle._

James- I know, it's utter chaos.

Will- It's not, though. There are sides…do you see?

_James peers closer at the battlefield and his eyes widen. We see shots of more armored figures dressed in red, quick figures cloaked in black, and figures dressed in green wielding axes, slings, and bows._

James- You're right… but what are they fighting over?

Will- Power, vengeance, any number of things.

_Will and James ponder, but before they can finish, the sides begin to coalesce. Three leaders emerge, each of their faces covered by different headgear._

Green Leader- Jadebiters, form up!

_The green army begins to organize, archers nocking their bows._

Black Leader- Nightfeathers, scramble!

_The black army scatters and hides in various nooks and crannies, climbing into trees or standing on windowsills._

Red Leader- Redclaws, interlock!

_Various members of the red army bring forth giant rectangular shields and lock them in a turtleshell formation._

Green Leader- You cannot win! The Jadebiters shall establish our supremacy here and now!

Red Leader- I just have one question for you, heathen…

Green Leader- What is it, cur?

Red Leader-…who are they?

_She points towards the Forrester gang, who have been watching the chaos unfold. All three armies cock their heads towards our heroes._

AJ- Um…

Will- We're envoys from Forrester.

_Gasps echo through the crowd._

Black Leader- Interlopers!

James- Now, hold on, hold on, we're just here to-

Green Leader- How dare you meddle in tribal conflicts?

_The three armies begin to advance towards the Forrester kids, who grip their own weapons nervously. Suddenly, a voice echoes through the crowd._

Voice- Sunlions, charge!

_Everyone turns around as figures in yellow surround the battlefield, crashing into the three armies. The courtyard erupts into chaos as the three armies once again engage with each other as well as the new attackers. We see some of the yellow attackers: a girl wielding a giant axe, a boy wielding a thin sword with extreme precision, and a young boy fighting only with his bare hands. Lauren looks at her friends and shrugs._

Lauren- Well, looks like we get to have a little more fun!

_She dives back into the fight eagerly._

Charlotte- Lauren, wait!

_Charlotte rushes after Lauren, trying to protect her. James, Will, AJ, and Hannah group up._

Hannah- Tribes?

Will- It would appear that after Maple Valley's previous leader left, the entire school splintered.

AJ- Well, then I guess they can't help us. Time to go home?

James- Not yet… we may yet be able to make use of this school.

_AJ sighs, but Hannah is peering at the battlefield._

Hannah- What's going on there?

_We see a group of enemies attacking someone in the center. They are all repelled. We see one green-clothed enemy look surprised as something wraps around his foot and his legs are pulled out from under him. Lauren glares over at the skirmish, eager for a good fight. Slowly, we see the yellow enemies forcing the red, green, and black to retreat._

Green Leader- Retreat, everyone!

_As one black-clothed enemy tries to run away, we see a ribbon come from nowhere and wrap around his chest._

Black Enemy- Oh, no.

_He is pulled back and slammed to the ground by the unknown fighter, who we now see clearly. He is tall, muscular, grinning, and wielding a ribbon wand. He is our newest cast member, Charlie Notch (also he's probably like really hot)._

Charlie- Alright, Lions, take down any stragglers you can.

_The other yellow enemies fan out, tracking down others and tackling them to the ground. Charlie smiles, but as he turns around, his eyes narrow as he sees Lauren facing him down._

Charlie- Haven't seen you before…

Lauren- And you won't see me again.

_She charges forwards, but Charlie simply wraps his ribbon around a tree above him, jumping over Lauren and landing behind her. Lauren growls and rushes at him. They engage in some fisticuffs, locked together. Eventually, Lauren points her gun at him, to which he looks disapprovingly._

Charlie- I don't think so. No guns on these battlefields.

_He grabs a hatchet from his belt, knocking Lauren's pistol from her hands. Lauren's eyes widen in surprise. She sweeps Charlie's legs, knocking the smug look from his face. She gets on top of him and is about to pound his face in when Charlie uses his ribbon to pull himself out from under and towards a nearby pole. As Lauren turns around, her arm is wrapped and pulled to the ground, quickly followed by her leg. The rest of the gang brandishes their weapons._

Charlotte- Lauren!

_They all begin to charge at Charlie, but he snaps his fingers and points at them. Three Sunlions, Rita, Xander, and Richard, all move in to intercept James and Will._

Rita- Not so fast!

_She uses her large axe to knock AJ off of his feet. Xander engages Charlotte in some martial arts while Richard easily holds off the inexperienced James and Will. Lauren and Charlie continue to brawl. Charlie dodges all of Laurens strikes, whipping his ribbon. Eventually Lauren shoves him back, but looks down and realizes that she is completely tangled. Charlie smirks and pulls back, sending Lauren spinning backwards._

Charlie- You've got heart, I'll give you that, but y'all are not match for the Sunlions!

_AJ triumphantly charges forwards towards Charlie only to be knocked down once again as Charlie throws his hatchet, pulling another from his belt. James struggles to speak as he rolls away from Richard's swift strikes._

James- Now, just listen! There's…no need to fight here.

_Lauren chuckles as she gets up._

Lauren- Necessity was never a factor.

_Pulling a staff from her back, she charges at Charlie again, who seems duly impressed. He sends his ribbon flying towards her, but she allows it to wrap around her staff, then pulls hard, sending Charlie flying towards her. As she prepares to kick him, he recovers and slides on his knees under her legs as it stretches out. They both rise on opposite sides of each other, weapons poised._

Charlie- How have I never met you before?

Lauren- We're just visiting.

_Charlie furrows his brow in surprise._

Charlie- Where are you from, then?

_Charlotte momentarily kicks Xander aside, exasperated._

Charlotte- That's what we've been trying to tell you! We're from Forrester!

Charlie- Forrester…

_He raises his hand with a clenched fist, and the three Sunlions cease their assault, leaving the Forrester kids exhausted. Charlie strolls towards Lauren like their fight never happened, surprising her with an outstretched hand._

Charlie- Charlie Notch, pleased to meet ya'.

_Lauren tentatively shakes his hand._

Lauren- Lauren Lee.

_James and Will huff as they brush themselves off and walk towards Charlie._

James- You didn't know we were from Forrester?

Will- How could you not recognize the faces of the renowned James and Will Cross?

Charlie- Sorry, we don't get much news from outside here. I like to stay informed, but specific people aren't really that important.

_James and Will are aghast._

James- Not important?

Will- How _dare_ you?

_Charlie approaches them and puts his arm around their shoulders._

Charlie- Boys, boys, let's focus on the bigger picture here. I am _so_ sorry that I attacked your lovely little bodyguard here-

Lauren- Bodyguard? I'm the freakin' sheriff!

Charlie- Anyway, one thing I _do_ know from the outside is that Forrester and Woodsworth are at war.

_Hannah huffs._

Hannah- Oh, you heard, but you didn't decide to help us?

Charlie- Not much I can do from my current position. Come on, I'll explain on the way.

_We cut to Charlie, the Sunlions, and the Forrester gang walking through the hallways. Skirmishes are still raging in the background, and the Lions are forced to fend off some assaults as they walk._

Charlie- First, some introductions.

_He points to each of the main three Lions in succession._

Charlie- This is Rita, this is Xander, and this is Richard.

Rita- A pleasure.

Richard- I trust you'll be able to assist in our cause.

_Xander is silent, only nodding._

Lauren- Yeah, yeah, nice to meet you all, but what do you want with us?

_As Charlie starts to speak, we go into a flashback illustrating his words with stylized silhouettes._

Charlie- For as long as anyone can remember, the valley has always had four tribes. The Nightfeathers, ever cloaked in shadow. The Redclaws, armored and disciplined. The Jadebiters, venomous and deadly. And the Sunlions-

Rita- That's us.

Charlie- Scrappy and tenacious. Long ago, the Warrior Supreme united all four tribes under one banner, creating a school with unparalleled military strength. But four years ago, they left, and it's been nothing but chaos ever since. Each tribe fighting for dominance over the others, never taking more than a little ground. We've become isolated, embroiled in a civil war. If this continues, Maple Valley will tear itself apart.

_We snap back to reality as Charlie gestures towards the Forrester kids._

Charlie- And that's where you come in!

Charlotte- Excuse me?

Charlie- Not here… all will be revealed once we reach the base.

_The gang continues walking in silence. Charlie walks back to stroll besides Lauren, who is looking around._

Charlie- I know, our school's not much, but-

Lauren- It's _amazing._

Charlie- Say what?

Lauren- I never thought I would find a _whole school_ devoted to the wonderful art of violence.

_She wipes away a tear. Charlie is taken aback._

Charlie- You know, that was some impressive stuff back there. I could learn a thing or two from you.

Lauren- Darn right you could. You can start by using a real weapon instead of that flimsy ribbon.

Charlie- Never! It's a leftover from my past. I used to be a dancer, you know.

_Lauren eyes Charlie's burly physique._

Lauren- You?

Charlie- Well, Maple Valley hardens everyone that passes through it. I just adapted my current skillset to suit my needs.

_Lauren snorts._

Lauren- Still a prissy weapon if you ask me.

_Charlie walks forward, then yanks on his ribbon. Lauren falls down, and Charlie chuckles._

Lauren- You're dead, Notch!

_They reach a large painting. Charlie does a complicated knock and the painting swings aside to reveal a hallway manned by guards._

AJ- Woah! A secret passageway!

Richard- Not really.

Charlie- We just covered up a hallway with a painting and everyone forgot it was there.

_They reach the end of the hallway where we see a large room filled with Lions. There is an armory, training grounds, and banners bearing a makeshift sigil._

Charlie- The Lions have been steadily losing ground… this is the only real territory we have left.

_Will raises an eyebrow._

Will- And you think _you_ can help us.

Charlie- Hey, we may not be the most powerful, but I know you need all the help you can get in this war!

_Will flushes._

Will- Fine, then.

Charlie- Glad we're in agreement.

_He starts to walk away, then turns around._

Charlie- I forgot to ask… who's even leading Woodsworth anyway?

_James opens his mouth to answer, but before he can, we hear music and footsteps. Everyone turns around to see the Whisperer strutting down the hallway, flanked by Edward, Ben, Lydia, and Quentin. Lauren's gang is dragged along in chains. Edward has two Lion guards slung over his shoulders._

Whisperer- **Hey, heard you were here. Thought I'd stop by and spread some cheer. Now I'm here… the fun can begin. And you can just stop your useless efforts to win. 'Cause I'm the best, you know it. I can't be beat. I already taste the victory, and boy, does it taste sweet! I've won the battle, and won the war, so what are you still struggling for?**

_All is silent for a moment, then Lauren nods and Charlotte, who starts beatboxing. Lauren steps forwards._

Lauren- **You've got a real nerve even coming in here.**

Whisperer- **It's cute you think that you can ever win, dear.**

Lauren- **We're not scared of you, 'cause you haven't won a thing. We may be down but we're still up in the ring. You won one battle, whoop-dee-doo. But soon you'll be facing the sole of my shoe. You ain't got nothing on us, we're the winners, well, soon-to-be. 'Cause we've got what you don't, we've got each other, we've got unity. You're all on your own, except for that lunk there.**

_She points at Edward._

Lauren- **Why'd you start this war if it's not even fair? We'll spit you out and throw you down, you'll be the laughingstock of this whole town. They'll talk about you, they'll say he flew close to the sun, and he crashed and he burned and he never won. So go back, back over the lake, or we'll have to cut off the head of the snake!**

_Lauren drops an imaginary mic and backs up. The Whisperer rolls his eye._

James- What are you doing here!?

Whisperer- I could ask the same of you. We all know that there's no way you win this war, even if you attain the help of these brutes. I'm giving you one last chance to surrender Forrester to me permanently.

_Charlotte snorts._

Charlotte- If you're so confident you can beat us, then why are you here instead of marching towards Forrester?

_The Whisperer narrows his eyes._

Whisperer- Oh, hush. The opportunity to take another school under Woodsworth control was too good to pass up. I'll defeat all the tribes and crush you while you're all alone here.

_Charlie steps forwards._

Charlie- They're not alone.

_The Whisperer scoffs, eyeing the Sunlions around the room._

Whisperer- Well, I'll see you out there.

Hannah- What, so you just came here to gloat?

Whisperer- Pretty much.

_Edward shoves Mr. Garcia forwards._

Quentin- Don't you want to say hi to your pals, sheriff?

_The Woodsworth gang all laugh as they start to walk away. Lauren growls and rushes forwards, kicking Quentin to the ground. They all turn around as the Forrester kids brandish their weapons. The Whisperer gestures to Edward, who drags the prisoners away, then the Whisperer walks away himself. Quentin leaps to his feet, and he, Ben, and Lydia face down our heroes. Lydia brandishes her rifle._

Lydia- That was a _major_ error.

Charlie- I don't know if you've heard, but guns aren't really okay here.

_The Serpent's Fang crew all laugh._

Lydia- And we care because?

_She fires as the Forrester crew scatter. Ben rushes forward towards Hannah, who tries to hold up her shield. He leaps over her and trips her up._

Ben- Honey, _no_.

_He starts to stroll back, but is wrapped and tripped up by Charlie. He notices the ribbon and raises his eyebrows._

Ben- Not really in the mood to get tied up today.

_Quentin and Richard clash swords, but Quentin is eventually pushed back. He, Lydia, and Ben all group up, but they notice the Sunlions slowly approaching. Lydia grumbles._

Lydia- Ugh, fine…

Quentin- If not today, then soon.

Ben- See ya round!

_They all turn tail and run away. Lauren starts to run after them, but Charlie stops her._

Charlie- Not right now. We have a lot of work to get done.

_Lauren reluctantly relents._

Lauren- If they're not gonna follow the stupid rules about guns, then why should we?

Charlie- They're going about things the wrong way. If you all want the support of Maple Valley, you'll need to play by our rules.

Lauren- Hm, whatever. Someone take me to the armory.

_A Lion leads Lauren away. Charlie turns to the other Forrester kids._

Charlie- Here's the plan-

James- Hold on, hold on. Who put you in charge?

Charlie- You got a plan?

_James is silent and Charlie continues._

Charlie- I know the other tribes leaders. They want this conflict settled just as much as I do. If we can get them to agree to one battle to settle everything once and for all, we can unite Maple Valley.

Will- Under you, I assume.

_Charlie shrugs._

Charlie- If you insist.

AJ- Awesome! So we just go visit the other tribes and tell them about this battle thing, and we're set!

Rita- Not so fast, kid.

_Charlie nods._

Charlie- The other tribe leaders can be… difficult. They'll never just agree straight up. They'll test us before they let us have our way. To pass those tests, you're going to need some training.

Hannah- Us? Why don't you just take some of your Lions?

Charlie- They know that you're from Forrester. They won't negotiate with me if they think I'm harboring foreign invaders. But if you prove yourselves… they might give us a chance.

_James looks slightly nervous._

James- What kind of training are we talking about here?

_Charlie looks to the other Sunlions and grins._

Charlie- Let's get started.

_Training montage time! We see James and Will facing down Xander, who speaks using sign language, subtitles appearing underneath._

Xander (sign language)- Come on, let's see what you've got.

_James and Will nervously eye their weapons. Will shrugs and charges forward, but Xander kicks his knee, knocking him down. James tries to stab at Xander, but is flipped over his shoulder onto the ground._

Xander (sign language)- That… was a start.

_We see Richard facing Charlotte. He tosses her a sword._

Richard- Attack.

_Charlotte rushes towards him, swinging wildly. He remains stiff-backed, striking with discipline and rigidity, knocking her back._

Richard- You have potential, but you require more discipline.

Charlotte- You're not bad yourself.

_Richard seems a little prideful._

Richard- Well, I _was_ once the leader of the Sunlions.

Charlotte- Really, now? You seem so loyal to Charlie.

Richard- Regardless of who's on top, I will always fight for the Lions' honor. Now, again, and keep your back straight this time.

_Charlotte advances once again, and we cut to Rita facing AJ and Hannah. She points to Hannah._

Rita- What's your name?

Hannah- Hannah-

Rita- Great! Shield up!

Hannah- What?

_Hannah barely manages to put up her shield before Rita slams down with her axe, sending Hannah flying back. She turns to AJ._

Rita- What's your name?

AJ- Um…

_We quickly cut to AJ flying back at well. Rita laughs._

Rita- Welcome to Maple Valley!

_AJ and Hannah get up. Hannah ties her hair back, and AJ cracks his neck. They face Rita._

AJ- Okay, _now_ we're ready.

_We cut to both of them lying on the floor again._

Rita- Four seconds that time, not bad. Come on, get up! Teamwork makes the dream work, kids!

_AJ weakly makes the timeout gesture._

AJ- Give us a minute!

_We cut back to James and Will, seeing multiple quick shots of them being knocked down by Xander._

Xander (sign language)- You're not aiming for the right spots.

James- What do you expect? We're politicians, not fighters.

Will- There, there, calm down now.

_Xander tilts his head._

Xander (sign language)- Just… think of it like your politics. Find your enemy's weak point and exploit it.

_James and Will narrow their eyes. Xander turns around, but both of them quickly get up, eyeing bandages on Xander's shoulder and side. Xander turns around just as James and Will stab at the bandages, sending him reeling in pain. James and Will smile triumphantly, and Xander gives a weak thumbs up before collapsing. Then we cut to Rita playing with her axe. Hannah walks out with the shield in front of her. Rita gives a toothy grin._

Rita- Finally decided to show yourself? Where's your little buddy?

_She rushes towards Hannah, pounding on the shield, but Hannah stands strong. Eventually she relents for a second, then Hannah whirls around, revealing AJ behind her, who strikes the axe right from Rita's hands. Rita is dumbfounded, then starts to laugh._

Rita- _That's_ more like it!

_We cut to they're not Char dueling with Richard, much more disciplined than before. We see feet running, but not the person attached to them. Richard is smiling, but sees something and is surprised. Suddenly, Lauren leaps past Charlotte, pushing Richard back with her new axe. He stumbles and falls over, and Lauren admires her new weapon._

Lauren- Not bad, eh, Char?

Charlotte- It suits you.

_Lauren is startled as a ribbon wraps around the handle of her axe. She looks up to see Charlie rising from his seat up high, where he has been sitting and observing for the previous montage. He leaps down and tries to yank the axe from Lauren, but she keeps hold of it. He pulls his ribbon back, and Lauren brandishes her axe. They face each other down for a second, then start to laugh. Charlie looks towards the other Forrester kids._

Charlie- I think y'all are looking much better!

Rita- These Forrester kids aren't so bad, boss!

_Xander weakly signs._

Xander (sign language)- They… sure… know how to hit the weak points.

Charlie- Come on. We've got some work to do.

_The whole gang starts to walk away, but Lauren is suddenly tripped up on the way._

Lauren- You're dead, Notch!

_End episode._


	32. Rule the School S2E13

**Episode Thirteen: Tribal Trouble**

Synopsis: The gang try to win over the loyalty of Maple Valley's tribes, while the Whisperer has his own plans.

_We open on the gang (now featuring Charlie) gathered in the Sunlion base around a table._

Charlie- Alright, everyone. We’re all trained up, so I think it's time to start our negotiations.

_He gestures to the table, which is also a map of Maple Valley. It is painted with different colors to reflect the different tribes. He points at the green._

Charlie- The Jadebiters' territory borders ours, so they'll probably be the easiest to start with.

James- What about the Whisperer?

_Richard shakes his head._

Richard- Our scouts have lost track of him and his troops. But rest assured, he wouldn't dare attack us in Biter territory.

_Hannah rolls her eyes._

Hannah- Sure…

Will- If we've learned _anything_ , I think it's not to underestimate the Whisperer.

Charlie- I hear you, but we have a mission. If they try to attack us, they'll be facing us and the other tribes.

_James nods._

James- Alright then.

_Charlie grins._

Charlie- Meet back here tomorrow. Don't forget to do your push-ups tonight.

_The gang nods and disperses. We pan up inside the vents to see Quentin, Ben and Lydia crammed in._

Quentin- So that's their plan… negotiate.

_They all laugh._

Lydia- We'll see how well that turns out for them.

_They try to turn around to crawl back, but end up tangling together._

Ben- Will you get off of me?

Lydia- Ugh, my hair!

Quentin- Quiet, both of you.

_We pan back down to see that the vents are crashing and making noise, but Rita is the only one in the room, and she is wearing large headphones and playing air guitar. Then we cut to various shots in split screen of the gang preparing the for next day- doing push-ups, hitting a punching bag, lifting weights. Then we cut to them all arriving outside a large door._

Charlie- Well, here we are.

_He gestures to Xander, who hands out surgical masks._

Charlie- Put these on and try not to breathe.

Charlotte- Excuse me?

AJ- Why do we need-

_He is silenced as they walk in and notice gases of various colors wafting through the air inside. A sizzling sound echoes throughout the hall. They look around and see a soldier dipping a spear into a cauldron, pulling it out dripping with green liquid. Scientists play with chemicals and vials, creating explosions and acid pools that melt through the table._

Will- Poison…

_Suddenly, the heads of the Biters swivel to face our heroes. They all draw their weapons and advance._

James- Oh, no.

Charlie- Don't let the poison touch you!

_The gang circles up and is forced to fight off the Biters. AJ barely avoids being hit with poison. James and Will fight with precise strikes, while Lauren sweeps them off their feet with her axe. Eventually, all the Biters are pushed back onto the ground._

James- Enough! We're just here to-

_Suddenly, an arrow flies past his face, barely missing him. They all turn their heads to see some Biters using leaf blowers to dramatically part the poison mist to reveal a boy walking forwards. He wears all green with snakeskin gloves and boots, and he has tan skin. Charlie rolls his eyes._

Charlie- Hello, Amaru.

_Amaru smiles, fiddling with an arrow._

Amaru- Notch. Bold of you to show your face around here.

_He snaps his fingers and a group of Biter soldiers enter wielding poisoned spears, surrounding our heroes._

Will- Woah, woah, woah! At least hear us out!

_The mist is mostly clear by now, revealing a large chair that Amaru sits in. He gestures for Will to speak._

Will- We know that you don't like the chaos here any better than we do, so we're trying to end it once and for all. One battle to unify Maple Valley. We just want you to agree to a fair fight… and we're willing to prove ourselves.

Amaru- A fair fight… with one of the tribes backed by Forrester?

Charlie- With all due respect, your Lordliness, they didn't bring any troops with them, and the Sunlions are already the smallest tribe of the Valley.

_Amaru considers it for a second._

Amaru- Fine, then. Prove yourselves.

_Suddenly, he lifts his bow and fires, shooting a poisoned arrow that hits AJ in the stomach. Lauren immediately hefts her axe, pointing it at Amaru._

Lauren- What do you think you're doing!?

_AJ immediately falls to the ground groaning._

AJ- Guys… I don't feel so good.

_Amaru laughs and gestures to a cauldron surrounded by chemicals and spices._

Amaru- Mix an antidote for him in half an hour… or he's going to feel a lot worse.

_Lauren drags AJ as they all run over to the cauldron and start furiously trying to mix stuff in the cauldron._

Amaru- Oh, one more thing!

Charlie- _What_?

_Amaru snaps his fingers._

Amaru- You'll have to defend yourselves.

_Some Jadebiters charge at the cauldron. Charlie, Lauren, Will, and Richard step out._

Lauren- Keep mixing! We've got this!

_They begin to fight as AJ rolls around on the grounds._

AJ- Guys, hurry up!

_The other characters begin splashing various concoctions on AJ._

James- Does this make you feel better?

AJ- No.

Rita- Does this make you feel better?

AJ- No.

Charlotte- Does this make you feel better?

AJ- No.

_We cut to sometime later. The heroes that were fighting are now slowing their combat as the onslaught of Jadebiters subsides. Our exhausted mixers try one more mixture._

Hannah- Does this make you feel better?

AJ-…

James- Well?

AJ- A little bit.

Xander (sign language)- We're close! Let's get back to work!

_Suddenly, a rumbling sounds throughout the room. Amaru, who is playing with his bow, gets up in alarm. Lauren defensively raises her axe. The mist parts to reveal Woodsworth troops led by Quentin and Lydia. Amaru aims the bow._

Lydia- Nice to see you all again.

Amaru- What is the meaning of this?

Quentin- As of now, this is Woodsworth territory.

_Amaru chuckles._

Amaru- Ah, you are _such_ a jokey jokester. Biters!

_Some Biters rush at them, but the Woodsworth troops are armed with guns and shoot them down._

Amaru- Guns? What trickery is this?

_He looses an arrow, but Quentin and Lydia both move to the side. The arrow hits an unfortunate Woodsworth soldier, who immediately falls to the ground. Lydia and Quentin rush at Amaru, but he runs behind Lauren and Charlie._

Amaru- Um… new part of the challenge. Help me fight off these invaders!

_Charlie lassos an approaching Woodsworth soldier, pulling him directly into Lauren's knee._

Will- Hannah!

_Hannah tosses Will her shield, which he uses to block some of Lydia's shots. Charlie, Lauren, Richard, and Amaru huddle behind the shield. Amaru fires several arrows from behind._

Charlie- Okay, everyone, scatter when I give the go-ahead.

_Everyone nods, and Amaru chuckles._

Amaru- Been a while since we fought side by side.

Charlie- Go!

_Will lifts the shield and they all charge. Lauren pushes through a crowd of Woodsworth troops, sweeping them all aside. Will defends the cauldron with his trident. Richard engages Quentin in a swordfight. When Quentin tries to use his pistol, Charlie lassos his arm and pulls him behind Lydia, who is facing down Amaru. She fires off three paintballs, but he fires an arrow through all of them. She ducks, and the arrow hits a dazed Quentin._

Lydia- Captain Quentin!

_Quentin turns green._

Quentin- I think we might need to… retreat.

_He collapses, and Lydia drags him away, along with the rest of the Woodsworth troops. The heroes laugh, and Amaru and Charlie share a fist bump._

Amaru- How are you doing so bad in the tribal wars with moves like those?

_We see James splashing AJ with a liquid. He immediately stands up._

James- Better?

_AJ thinks._

James- Oh, what is it?

AJ- Just kidding, just kidding. I feel great.

_Charlotte stomps on AJ's foot._

Charlotte- Next time don't get hit by the flippin' arrow.

_They all walk over to face Amaru._

Lauren- There you go, snakey. Is that good enough for you?

_Amaru considers it._

Charlotte- Really?

Amaru- Oh, no, it was but a jest. I will compete in your little mock battle. A chance to take over all of the Valley… how could I pass it up? Your Sunlions may be strong, Charlie, but the Biters' fangs will be dripping with venom.

Charlie- Whatever you say, Amaru. Come on, guys.

_They all turn to walk away. Amaru suddenly falls over._

Amaru- You're dead, Notch!

_Charlie snickers._

Charlie- Meet at the base again tomorrow. Then we'll tackle the Nightfeathers.

_We cut to the same training shots from earlier, but sped up. Then we cut to the gang walking up to a wall._

Charlotte- So, where's the Nightfeathers' base?

Richard- The Nightfeathers have always been… tricky. But we do know one way to their hideout.

_Charlie presses on various areas on the wall, opening a tunnel. Will is unimpressed._

Will- A bit much, if you ask me.

Lauren- Agreed.

_They walk through the tunnel, noticing tattered flags painted with black crows. As they pass through the tunnel, parts of the walls suddenly open their eyes._

James- So what's the leader of the Nightfeathers like, Charlie?

Charlie- Well, for one thing, they're rarely ever seen… if you're not a friend like me. They only lead major battles, but they do like to attend to some missions themselves.

Richard- I met them a few times. They were… difficult.

_A voice echoes from around the tunnel._

Karasu- You wound me, boys…

_They whirl around to see Karasu standing behind them. They are wearing all black with a feathery collar, several knives strapped to their belt and a katana strapped across their back._

Richard- Karasu…

_Karasu gives a curt nod._

Karasu- Richard.

Charlie- Great reintroductions, y'all. Let's be on our way to your base.

Karasu- Oh, we're not going anywhere, Notch.

_Nightfeathers emerge from the walls, their cloaks painted to resemble the walls._

James- What is the meaning of this?

_Karasu disappears in a puff of smoke and reappears on a shelf-like nook in the wall, sitting down._

Hannah- Hey! What do you want?

Karasu- I know what you're hear for, fools. The Nightfeathers hear everything that happens within these walls. I know that you seek my agreement to a battle that will decide the fates of all the tribes.

Will- Well, you haven't attacked us yet, so is that a yes?

_Karasu laughs, then appears in front of Will, pressing their katana against his throat._

Karasu- The only reason I don't capture all of you now is that I'm amused by you…

Charlotte- And?

Karasu- And perhaps I'm a bit curious to see how the most pathetic tribe of the Valley could hope to win a battle against all the others.

Rita- So are you agreeing to the battle or not?

Karasu- My curiosity isn't _that_ strong. You'll still have to prove yourselves.

Lauren- Ugh, fine. What's the challenge? Gladiator battle? Assassinate someone?

Karasu- Hide and seek.

_Lauren arches an eyebrow._

Lauren- Hide and seek?

Karasu- Well, I had to pick something the Nightfeathers are good as, didn't I? My agents know all the nooks and crannies of Maple Valley, but who knows… maybe you'll prevail. You all get two minutes to hide… go!

_The gang all runs out of the tunnel as Karasu appears next to their followers. Our heroes run throughout the school, looking for hiding places. Richard and Xander pose as statues. Rita pulls open a vent._

Rita- Come on, Charlotte!

_Charlotte and Rita crawl into the vent, closing it behind them. Lauren sees a trash can._

Lauren- Hey, AJ, get over here!

_AJ walks over._

AJ- What do you-

_Lauren picks him up and chucks him into the trash can, burying him beneath the trash._

AJ- WOAAAAH!

Lauren- Stay!

_Hannah grabs a painting from the wall, pops it out of the frame, and stands behind the frame posing._

James- Will, let's head up.

_He and Will sprint to the staircase. Charlie and Lauren split up, Lauren heading outside, where she finds the largest tree and starts to climb it. Charlie heads inside the gym, where he wraps his ribbon around the rafters, pulling himself up. We see Karasu and their followers._

Karasu- Has it been two minutes yet?

Nightfeathers- Um… I'm not sure.

Karasu- Eh, whatever. Hunt them down!

_The Nightfeathers run out of the tunnel, immediately spotting Richard and Xander posing as statues._

Nightfeather- We can see you.

Xander (sign language)- How? We were standing so still!

_A Nightfeather heads towards the vents, then we cut to James and Will arriving on the roof._

Will- Hopefully we'll be safe up here.

_A voice calls from offscreen._

Ben- Hello, boys.

_They turn to see Ben standing there, smug and wielding his sword._

Ben- You know, they told me just to go after the Nightfeathers, but I'm sure the Whisperer will make an exception for you two.

_He rushes at them, but James and Will are able to push him back. James and Will try to run for the staircase, but he rushes after them, hitting his side on the way._

Ben- Ow!

_He leaps up and kicks James to the ground. Will stabs his trident into Ben's injured side, and he recoils. James gets up and uses his spear to push him back._

Ben- Ugh, unfair. I'm outnumbered.

James- You're coming with us.

_Ben rolls his eyes and leaps over James, sliding down the staircase. James almost goes after him, but Will grabs his arm._

Will- Leave him. The Nightfeathers will probably take care of it.

_We cut to the Nightfeathers dumping AJ out of his trash can and pulling Hannah out from behind her painting._

AJ- Hey! How'd you find me?

Hannah- Ugh, don't touch me!

Nightfeather- You guys are _really_ bad at this. You could have gone in the vents, under the tables…

Hannah- And risk ruining my makeup! I don't think so.

AJ- Besides, I have faith in our other friends.

_We cut to Charlotte and Rita crawling through the vents. They hear noises._

Rita- They're onto us!

Charlotte- We should split up. That'll make it harder for us to lose.

_Rita nods and they crawl in opposite directions. Then we cut to a Nightfeather looking up at Lauren._

Nightfeather- I see you!

Lauren- No, you don't.

Nightfeather- Yes, I do!

_Lauren kicks the tree, causing a branch to fall on the Nightfeather's head and knock her out cold. Then we cut to Charlie on the rafters. He looks across to see a Nightfeather smiling at him._

Charlie- Are you kidding me?

_The Nightfeather prepares to cross the rafter before his legs are swept out from under him. He falls from the rafters. Charlie's eyes widen and he whips his ribbon forwards, wrapping around the plummeting boy. With some effort, he manages to haul him up to the rafters._

Charlie- Are you okay?

Nightfeather- Yeah… yeah.

_Charlie looks across to see Ben smirking._

Charlie- You could have killed him, you lunatic!

Ben- Oh, relax, there's some yoga mats there.

_Ben draws his sword, but Charlie wraps his ribbon around the blade, pulling forwards. Ben is almost pulled, but slips his sword out just in time. He sighs and turns around to find another target. We cut to Charlotte crawling around in the vents, narrowly avoiding two Nightfeathers crossing through. She sighs and turns the corners, crawling until she stumbles across Rita's unconscious body._

Charlotte- Rita!

_She looks up to see Ben grinning, his short stature allowing him to stand in the vents._

Ben- Sometimes being short does have its perks.

_Charlotte turns around and crawls wildly as Ben chases after her. She kicks him back, finding a vent and opening it, falling into a room. Ben leaps in after her, and they engage in a short swordfight until Charlotte is knocked to the ground._

Ben- End of the line, missy.

_Suddenly, the lights go out. We hear nothing but Charlotte's breathing, some yells from Ben, and the clash of blades. When the lights come back on, Karasu is standing by Charlotte, and Ben is on the ground wiping his cheek._

Ben- _Hello_ , gorgeous. I've never felt swordplay like that before.

_Karasu growls._

Karasu- Run away, little bird.

_Ben grunts and runs away._

Karasu- Attacking my Nightfeathers and interfering with my challenge… these birds from Woodsworth are bold.

_They help Charlotte up._

Karasu- Alright, that's time.

_The Nightfeathers drag in the characters they have captured. Karasu looks at them._

Karasu- Well, it looks as though some of your friends have managed to evade my Feathers… well done.

_They turn to Charlotte._

Charlotte- So you'll participate in the battle?

_Karasu smirks._

Karasu- We'll _win_ the battle, little bird. Now, go get your friends. You still have one tribe to win over.

_Charlotte rendezvouses with the captured heroes._

AJ- I know, I know… I'm surprised they found me too.

_Charlotte rolls her eyes._

Charlotte- Come on, guys, let's find the others. We've got one more day of work.

_Cut to the same training shots from earlier, even more sped up. Then we cut to the gang arriving outside yet another room._

Charlie- We're in the homestretch, gang. We just have to win over the Redclaws.

James- Are you sure there's not any important stuff about these guys you need to tell us?

_Charlie shrugs._

Charlie- Let's find out.

_He pushes open the doors, revealing a wall of soldiers all holding up shields._

Lauren- Looks like they were expecting us.

_Suddenly, the soldiers bang their shields against the ground._

Charlie- Here we go…

_The soldiers eventually part to reveal an armored girl wielding a huge shield and a spear: Lupa._

Charlie (whispering)- Don't look down. The Redclaws frown on any sign of weakness.

Lupa- Hello, Charlie. I see you brought friends.

Charlie- Pleased to see you too, Lupa. When was the last time we met in school?

Lupa- Oh, I believe it was when you infiltrated our base and captured some of my top generals.

Charlie- Oh, yeah…

Lupa- Surround them!

_The Redclaws fan out and surround our heroes. Lupa strides up to them._

Lupa- We Redclaws have never been one for formalities, so let's cut to the chase. I know why you're here, and I know how you'll prove yourself to me.

Will- Delightful. What's the challenge?

Lupa- You will fight in our gladiator arena!

_The Redclaws cheer, and Lauren smiles._

Lauren- Finally, something fun!

_We cut to all the characters in an arena. Lupa sits in a throne above them._

Lupa- Entertain us!

_The crowd roars and the heroes look nervously at their weapons. Lauren doesn't hesitate, knocking them all to the ground, pulling Charlie in with his ribbon and kicking him. She looks up to Lupa._

Lauren- Okay, I win! Are we done here?

_The crowd boos._

Lupa- Boo! Boo! There was no entertainment in that! Where the story? Where was the drama?

_Lauren is shocked._

Lauren- Can we have some time to figure stuff out?

Lupa- Five minutes.

_The group gathers together._

Charlie- What are we gonna do? How are supposed to come up with a story that will impress Lupa?

AJ- Well…

_They all turn to him._

AJ- Hannah, do you still have those papers I gave you a few days ago?

_Hannah rummages through her purse and pulls out a huge stack of papers. AJ hands them out._

AJ- I've been working on a screenplay recently in my free time, you know? Maybe… maybe we could use that?

_They all flip through it._

James- What _is_ this?

Will- Oh, shush. We don't have any better options.

Charlotte- I hate to say it, but it looks like we're following your lead, AJ.

_We cut to the gang in the arena. Everyone except for AJ is holding scripts. AJ reads enthusiastically._

AJ- Golly gee! I sure do love my peaceful life on my farm. It almost makes me forget about the one-eyed man that murdered my father!

_Hannah walks in._

Hannah- I'm home!

AJ- Hello, my beautiful wife! I sure am glad that my life is so peaceful and _nothing_ could ever disrupt it.

_We see Rita, Richard, and Xander working special effects, creating smoke as Charlotte enters in a large witch hat, completely deadpan._

Charlotte (monotone)- It is I, the fearsome and hideous witch. Your happiness displeases me. Ha ha ha.

AJ- No! Spare me, you monster.

Charlotte (monotone)- Awaken, my golem, and seize the woman.

_Lauren enters and hauls Hannah away over her shoulder._

Hannah- Husband! You must save me!

_AJ rushes at Lauren, and they engage in a short stage fight, ending with Lauren kicking AJ to the floor and she and Charlotte disappearing. We hear minor applause from the crowd, and Lupa leans forward, bemused._

AJ- My wife, I _will_ save you, no matter what it may take!

_He pantomimes walking until he is tripped up by Charlie, who faces him down._

AJ- Who are you?

Charlie- I wish I knew the answer to that question. I have no memory of my former life. Now I wander the plains in search of a worthy opponent, and you look like you might grant my wish.

AJ- Let us engage!

_They have another stage fight. Charlie is fighting very slowly and eventually lets himself get knocked down._

Charlie- Wow! You are truly the greatest hero that ever lived! I shall join you on your journey!

James- Not so fast!

_James and Will enter, completely overacting and striking poses._

Will- We are two travelling mercenaries, and now you're going to give us all of your valuables.

_They both laugh overly evilly and brandish their weapons._

Charlie- Allow me to assist you, new best friend and super cool guy!

_He and AJ fight James and Will, eventually disarming them. Lupa begins to smile at the sheer stupidity._

James- Wow! You are so impressive!

Will- Please forgive us for trying to rob you! We'll help you out on your journey!

_They all get up and pantomime walking until they reach Charlotte and Lauren, who have Hannah behind them._

Hannah- Save me, please!

Charlotte (monotone)- Even your awesome hair and great sense of humor won't save you from us. By the way, have you been working out?

AJ- Yes, yes I have! Let's get them!

_They all run at Charlotte and Lauren, but are quickly knocked to the ground._

Charlotte (monotone)- End of the line.

AJ- It looks like I wasn't… strong enough.

Hannah- No, you can do it!

James- You're the best!

Will- We need you!

Charlie- Get up, get up!

_AJ rises and hits Lauren lightly with his sword. She acts out a dramatic death._

Charlotte (monotone)- Oh, no. My golem. How sad…

_AJ hits Charlotte too, and she slowly sits down._

Charlotte (monotone)- Ah, this is so bad. I'm dying, I'm dying. Whoops, I'm dead.

Hannah- You did it!

James- Good job!

_A voice comes from offscreen._

Whisperer- Not so fast!

_Everyone's eyes turn to see the Whisperer and Edward standing in the arena._

Whisperer- Everyone here would be wise to surrender before things get messy.

_Lauren scrambles up, and the crowd boos._

Lupa- Hey, get back on the ground, golem! You're supposed to be dead!

Lauren- What? We're still doing the show?

Lupa- Ugh, don't ruin my immersion! Do you want my agreement or not?

_Lauren rolls her eyes and lies back down._

James (whispering)- How are we supposed to fit this into the story?

Will- Time for some improv.

_AJ thinks, then points towards the Whisperer._

AJ- There he is! The one-eyed man who killed my father!

Whisperer- Excuse me?

Charlie- I… I remember now. A one-eyed man killed my father too…

_He looks at AJ._

AJ- Brother!

Charlie- Let's finish him and his servant together.

Whisperer- Edward! Deal with them.

_Edward advances, but Charlie wraps his ribbon around one of his legs. He, James, and Will all pull, eventually causing Edward to fall over. Rita, Xander, and Richard pull AJ up on wires as he spins through the air, landing on Edward with his sword and knocking the air out of him. The Whisperer is shocked, and Rita holds up subtitles under him as he speaks._

Whisperer- How dare you? Subtitles- Wow, you are so incredible and amazing.

Whisperer- You will pay for this, believe me Subtitles- I admire how awesome you are.

_The Whisperer pushes Rita aside and swooshes his cape._

Whisperer- Edward, come!

_Edward gets up and carries the Whisperer away, barreling through a wall of Redclaws._

AJ- You think that was enough to impress Lupa?

_Charlie points and we see Lupa sobbing._

Lupa- The storyline… the emotions… the acting… impeccable! You have my agreement to this battle of yours!

_The gang looks at each other in amusement._

James- Thank you, miss.

_Lupa dries her tears and jumps down._

Lupa- Don't 'miss' me, foreigner.

James- Yes, sir.

_Lupa grins and pushes James away. The gang walks out of Redclaw territory._

Charlie- Well, we've convinced all the tribes to fight… now we just have to win.

Hannah- Easier said than done, Charlie.

Charlie- We've come this far, guys. It would be really disappointing if we lost now.

_They all laugh as they walk away._

_End episode._


	33. Rule the School- TreatBazket VR

**Special Two: TreatBazket VR**

Synopsis: The gang tries out a new Halloween game in the middle of the war.

_We open on an ad showing a brand new game._

Ad Voice- Spend your Halloween inside this year with Liev Games' revolutionary new title TreatBazket VR!

_We see an image of a person in a Halloween costume being scanned._

Ad Voice- The machine will scan your Halloween costume and create an avatar based on your outfit!

_We see clips of various creatures and warriors fighting and exploding into treats._

Ad Voice- Battle monsters and other players in our massive multiplayer map to earn treats. When the day is done, you can exchange your in-game treats for real candy!

_Airhorns._

Ad Voice- Get it now for only five hundred and fifty dollars! OnlyusableonHalloweennightyouhavebeenwarned.

_We see shots of kids all around Ashmount seeing the ad._

Kid- Aw, that looks awesome!

Child- I need it now!

_We see James looking at them disdainfully._

James- Hmph, who has time for silly games like that?

_We cut to James clinging to his mother's feet._

James- Please, please, please! I need it! I neeeeeeeed it!

Mother- Fine, I'll buy you the stupid game!

_James jumps up, clapping._

James- Yay!

_We cut to later, a label appearing that says 'Halloween Day.' James walks up to a door, dressed as an angel. He is holding a VR game console. He knocks, and Will opens the door, leaning against the doorway. James raises an eyebrow._

James- Really, Will?

_Will is dressed in a red devil costume, smiling at James._

Will- When I heard what you were going to be, I just couldn't resist!

_He pulls out a fake trident and pokes James with it._

Will- Aren't you just the cutest angel?

_James swats the trident away, storming inside. We see AJ dressed as a knight, Hannah dressed as a princess, and Charlotte dressed as a ninja. They turn around. AJ opens his mouth to greet James, some food falling out._

AJ- James!

_Hannah grabs a napkin and dabs at his mouth._

Hannah- AJ, that's disgusting. Don't talk with your mouth full!

_James looks at the delectable array of Halloween snacks. Will sighs._

Will- Of course he looks at the _food_ like that.

_James runs over to get some snacks. Jaya Cross, Will's mom, walks in._

Jaya- Glad you kids are enjoying the snacks. Now, I know you all are excited about that video game thing, but no staying up too late! You guys have that big test tomorrow, right?

Will- Mom! How many times do I have to tell you that it's a war! You're being super embarrassing!

Jaya- Whatever you say, Silly Willy.

_She walks away, and everyone bursts out laughing._

Charlotte- Silly Willy? Oh my goodness!

Will- Shut up, guys!

_Will flushes, but he's still smiling. There's a knock at the door._

James- That must be Lauren and Charlie!

AJ- I'll get it!

_AJ opens the door and is immediately knocked to the ground by Lauren in a military uniform, pointing a plastic rifle down at him._

Lauren- Get on the ground!

_Charlie leans over him dressed as a robot and speaking like one as well._

Charlie- Beep boop, scanning for coolness… no coolness detected.

_Lauren helps AJ up, laughing._

Charlie- We're never going to convince the other tribes to join us if you fight like that, AJ!

AJ- I wasn't expecting it!

Lauren- Fine. AJ, I'm going to punch you.

_AJ closes his eyes tightly and flails his arms in front of him. Lauren rolls her eyes and she and Charlie just walk past him._

AJ- Lauren?

_We cut to them sitting on the floor in a circle._

Hannah- Okay, my turn! Lauren… who is your celebrity crush?

_Lauren takes some time to think._

Lauren- The M4 Sherman Tank.

Hannah- Ugh, he sounds boring. Your turn, Lauren.

Lauren- AJ…

Charlotte- Wait!

_Jaya walks in._

Jaya- Here's those photos you asked for, Charlotte!

_Charlotte bows to Jaya._

Charlotte- Arigato, Cross-san.

Will- Excuse me! What are those?

_By the time he realizes, it's too late. Charlotte is showing everyone Will's baby pictures._

AJ- Look at how cute you were!

Will- Nooooooo! How could you, Charlotte?

_He rushes at her, but she hands the photos off to Charlie, who dangles them above Will's head._

Lauren- Hey, I wanna see!

_She tackles Charlie and grabs the photos from his, still holding off Will. James laughs, turning a photo around so Will can see himself as a baby blowing a kiss._

James- I see you were a charmer even back then.

Will- If you like it so much, you should just keep it!

James- Oh, you shouldn't give me this incriminating evidence, Will.

Will- Incriminating? All it shows was that I was always just as amazing as I am now!

_Suddenly, an alarm buzzes on all their phones._

Hannah- The alarm!

Charlie- The TreatBazket servers open up in five minutes! Quick, everyone set up your consoles!

_We cut to later, where all of their consoles are set up._

James- Everyone ready?

AJ- Come on, come on, let's just go!

_They all snap on their VR headsets._

VR Voice- Scanning, scanning… scan complete. Prepare for paralysis.

Will- Here we go!

_Suddenly, they all collapse to the ground._

Hannah- Um… am I supposed to be unable to move?

James- Just relax. It's making sure we don't move and break anything in the real world. It'll be all in our heads.

VR Voice- Prepare for sensory immersion.

Charlie- See y'all on the other side!

_The VR headsets expand over their ears as well, and we cut to AJ falling through a glowing white tunnel, now dressed in a black jumpsuit. An image of his Halloween costume appears in front of him._

VR Voice- Analyzing costume.

_AJ's jumpsuit starts to glow._

AJ- Woah!

_Knight's armor appears on him, and he grabs a sword that appears in front of him._

VR Voice- Enjoy your time in TreatBazket VR.

AJ- Thank y-

_AJ falls onto the floor with a groan, a grassy field loading around him._

AJ- Where… where am I?

_He gets up and starts wandering around. He hears a yell and turns around to see two samurai running towards him. They don't attack him, however, and instead get behind him._

Samurai 1- You've gotta help us, man!

AJ- But… aren't we supposed to fight each other?

Samurai 2- You don't understand, there's this wizard terrorizing the whole server! He must be a hacker or something, 'cause he spawned a bunch of monsters! At this rate, he's gonna get all the candy in the game!

AJ- Monsters? What mon-

_Loud roars cause AJ to turn around as a group of troll looking monsters come rampaging over the hill._

Samurai 1- _Those_ monsters!

_AJ pulls out his sword._

AJ- Come on, we can take them!

_The samurai nervously brandish their weapons as the monsters charge towards them. They fight, but the samurai are eventually overwhelmed._

Samurai 1- I-

_They both explode into candy as AJ takes out the monsters around them._

AJ- No!

_His eyes widen as the candy flies towards him and disappears, and a screen pops up in front of him showing him his candy number._

AJ- Woah.

_He stands up, looking around him._

AJ- Well, where do I go now?

_A path suddenly appears on the grass. AJ shrugs and walks along it. We see a quick montage of him walking along the path, facing both other players and monsters. Eventually, the path ends at a tower._

AJ- What is there for me here?

_Suddenly, he hears a voice from the tower and looks up to see Hannah in the window dressed in full princess garb._

Hannah- Is that you, AJ?

AJ- Hannah! Are you trapped up there?

Hannah- There were bars over the window until you showed up!

AJ- I'm coming, princess!

Hannah- Wait, that's really not neces-

_AJ has made up his mind, however, and starts climbing up the tower._

AJ- I've got it, I've got it.

_We see a time lapse of Hannah waiting at her tower window, tapping her finger on the window. Finally, she looks down to see AJ about halfway up._

AJ- Almost there!

_Hannah tries to smile encouragingly, but her gaze is distracted when she sees the ground shaking next to AJ._

Hannah- Um, AJ?

AJ- Don't worry, Hannah, I'll come save you.

_A tremor shakes the tower, sending AJ tumbling to the ground._

AJ- What the-

_A giant rock troll suddenly bursts out of the ground, wielding a club._

AJ- A troll!?

Hannah- Here, let me-

AJ- I've got this! Stay back!

_He rushes forward, smashing his sword uselessly against the rocks._

Hannah- You need to find a weak spot, AJ!

_AJ turns around, and is immediately hit by the club and knocked back._

Hannah- AJ!

AJ- It's fine, I've, uh, still got this.

_Hannah throws her head into her hands._

Hannah- Ugh, just get out of my way!

_She takes off her heels and jumps out of the tower, digging a heel into the side of the tower to slide down. The rock troll roars at her and she notices a chink in its armor. She ducks under the troll's club, stabbing her conical hat into the chink. The rock troll yells out and collapses into a pile of rocks._

AJ- Woah.

_AJ gets up and walks towards Hannah as she pulls up a screen and selects her normal shoes, which appear on her feet. She holsters her heels at her side and beckons to AJ._

Hannah- Come on, let's find the others.

AJ- Wait, there's something I gotta tell you. I ran into some players and they were talking about some wizard that's sending out monsters to hunt down everyone.

_Hannah thinks._

Hannah- Hm. Well, do you think they could be over there?

_AJ turns to see a dark and foreboding castle with lightning and dark clouds over it._

AJ- Oh… yeah, that would make sense. How did I not notice that before?

_Hannah rolls her eyes._

Hannah- Well, the wizard probably has a ton of candy, but we can't tackle him on our own. We'll need to find the others.

AJ- Right.

_Right on cue, a new pathway appears in front of them. AJ gestures to it._

AJ- Shall we?

_Hannah giggles._

Hannah- Lead the way, noble knight. Your princess commands it!

_AJ exaggeratedly bows, and they walk on the path.. Suddenly, their feet start moving faster and faster._

Hannah- What's happening?

AJ- I think we're fast-travelling!

_They zoom across the path until they stop in empty space._

Hannah- Where are we?

AJ- Give it a sec. Let it load.

_The area loads around them, and we see a small village with Japanese architecture._

Hannah- Why would the game lead us here?

_A player falls down next to them, staring up at them._

Player- Help m-

_He is hit by a shuriken and collapses into candy. AJ and Hannah's eyes follow the candy up to the rooftops where several players and monsters are swarming one figure. The figure disappears, reappearing on a nearby rooftop. Cherry blossoms swirl by out of nowhere and the figure, who we now see is Charlotte, speaks dramatically in perfect Japanese._

Charlotte (subtitles)- The year the cherry blossoms stop falling, I shall know my long path of pain has come to an end. Until then… my fight is never-ending.

_She unsheathes then sheathes her katana quickly. In an instant, all the enemies running towards her fall to the ground, the players exploding into more candy._

AJ- Woah!

_Charlotte turns to them and leaps down, pointing her sword at them._

Hannah- Woah, Charlotte, it's us!

Charlotte- How much candy do you guys have?

_AJ and Hannah pull up their candy amounts, and Charlotte sighs disappointedly._

Charlotte- It's not worth it.

_She sheathes her sword and pulls off her hood._

Charlotte- Have you seen any of the others?

_Hannah and AJ shake their heads._

AJ- No, but I assume you've heard about the wizard.

_Charlotte nods._

Charlotte- I was going to take him out, but I might as well bring you losers along.

Hannah- Oh, I'm _honored._

Charlotte- Well, maybe we can try and find everyone else. Lauren and Charlie, at least, would be a help against the wizard.

AJ- The wizard… you don't think it could be-

_Suddenly, a yell echoes out from around them._

Player- We've got her!

_Players emerge from all the houses and the surrounding area, surrounding Charlotte, Hannah and AJ and wielding various weapons._

Charlotte- Great. You distracted me.

Player- Time to get that sweet, sweet-

_He suddenly clutches his back as a gunshot rings out and he dissolves into candy. The other assailants turn around a figure flits among them, taking them down. The last attacker is knocked to the ground, and the mysterious figure does a quick hair flip before shooting them. She turns to Charlotte, AJ, and Hannah, and we see that she is Angela dressed in spy attire._

Angela- Fancy running into you guys here.

Charlotte- Angela!

_Charlotte and AJ run up to her, giving her hugs._

AJ- But how?

Angela- Well, the juvie center got one VR console, and I… convinced the other inmates to let me use it all night.

_She walks up to Hannah._

Angela- So you're the new girl.

_She narrows her eyes for a second, then starts to laugh._

Angela- Well, if you managed to get the others to trust you after working for Sterling, you must be pretty smart.

_She leans in._

Angela- _Please_ tell me you've been taking care of those idiots James and Will.

_Hannah slowly nods, clearly slightly intimidated._

Charlotte- Watch what you say, Angela.

Angela- Ugh, _sorry_. What are they going to do to me, I'm already at rock bottom.

AJ- Well, Angela, we were going to find the others and try and take down this wizard, so do you-

_Angela whirls around._

Angela- The wizard?

AJ- You know about him?

Angela- I snuck into his castle… I saw him.

_A pause._

Angela- He's exactly who you think he is.

Hannah- The Whisperer…

Angela- Ding. I knew I couldn't take him on my own, so I tried to find you guys. Together, we can wipe that smile off his face.

Charlotte- That wouldn't exactly make you two even.

_Angela shrugs._

Angela- Well, I'll take what I can get at this point. Until you guys get the support of Maple Valley and take him down, video games are my sole source of vengeance.

Hannah- Well, I-

_She is interrupted by the sound of gunfire and yells coming from far away._

Charlotte- What was that?

_They all draw their weapons and look to the distance, where a flying figure is being chased by several players in jetpacks wielding guns._

Charlotte- Get ready to fight.

Hannah- No… is that…

_The figure being chased crashes down in front of them, rising to reveal a metallic and robotic Charlie, leaking some oil._

AJ- Charlie?

_Charlie indicates his robotic body._

Charlie- I know, right? Pretty cool!

_An explosion triggers next to them, knocking them all back. The pursuers in jetpacks come to the ground as well, wielding various guns._

Charlie- Oh, yeah. These guys… they don't like me.

Charlotte- Well, then we don't like them.

_Hannah throws one of her high heels at an attacker while Charlotte tosses shurikens at another one. AJ is knocked to the ground, but Charlie's arm transforms into a massive gun and blasts them away._

AJ- Woah!

Charlie- Isn't it awesome?

_With a couple shots from Angela, the battle is over. Charlie collapses, still leaking oil._

Hannah- Charlie! Are you okay?

Charlie- Yeah, yeah. I just need to heal a little bit.

_He pulls up his candy interface, pressing a button. Some of his candy disappears, and he stops leaking. He gets up._

Charlie- I was with Lauren when we got ambushed by a huge group of players. I got wounded and had to run away, and that's when I ran into these guys.

_Angela pushes Hannah and AJ out of the way and walks up to Charlie._

Angela- So you're the Maple Valley kid they've been talking about. Angela Farrenburr, pleased to meet you.

_She extends a hand and he shakes it. Angela turns to Hannah, whispering._

Angela- I thought Will said he was supposed to be hot.

Hannah- Just imagine him without all the metal, nice curly hair, and a big smile.

_Angela examines Charlie closely and her eyes widen._

Angela- Oh… I see.

_AJ looks slightly indignant and tries to change the subject._

AJ- Shouldn't we go help Lauren!

_Charlie nods._

Charlie- I had to leave her by herself… she must be close to defeat.

_Charlotte snorts._

Charlotte- Sure.

Charlie- Well, come on! Let's go!

_He backs up and his body transforms into a massive jet. A cockpit opens up._

Angela- Are you serious?

Charlie- Get in, there's plenty of room!

_Hannah shrugs and they walk up, climbing into the jet._

Charlie- Here we go!

_His engines fire, and the jet blasts off into the distance. We cut to later, where everyone is crammed together inside the jet._

Charlotte- You call this a lot of space?

Charlie- Oh, shush. We're almost there.

Angela- So, Charlie, when this whole war thingie is over, you should stop by the juvie center.

Charlie- Um, I-

_He is interrupted when a player crashes against the windshield._

Charlie- Oh! Looks like we're here.

Hannah- Do you have windshield wipers or something?

Charlie- Nope! I'll just turn back real quick.

AJ- No, no, wait!

_Charlie transforms back, and everyone inside the jet starts freefalling to the ground._

AJ- AAAH!

Charlie- Don't worry, I've got you!

_AJ extends an arm to grab him, but Charlie flies right by AJ and grabs Angela and Hannah. He hovers to the ground with them, Charlotte lands on her feet, and AJ slams to the ground._

AJ- Ouch…

_He gets up and looks around see that they are in the wreckage of a massive building. Players are rushing past them to the center of the building, candy exploding everywhere._

Hannah- Where are they going?

Charlotte- Where do you think, Hannah?

_She points to the top of a mound of wreckage, where Lauren stands. She is dressed in full soldier garb and wielding two guns, but the strangest part of her appearance is the fact that her head is now proportionally tiny to her massive muscular body._

AJ- What happened to Lauren?

Charlie- Eh, don't worry about it.

_Some enemies notice the group._

Player- Hey! They're not attacking!

_They start rushing towards the group, and they prepare to fight. However, a giant explosion blows away all the enemies. They look to see Lauren standing above them holding a rocket launcher. She jumps down._

Lauren- Oh, you finally decided to come back, Charlie?

Charlie- Well, I picked up some pals along the way.

_Lauren flexes._

Lauren- You like my new look?

_Charlotte rolls her eyes._

Charlotte- I think I prefer the old Lauren.

_Some players start running at them._

Player- We're not done with you yet!

_Lauren turns around too late, but Charlotte appears in front of her and slices the enemies into candy with her katana._

Charlotte- Watch your back.

Lauren- Well, you're so good at it, I thought I'd just leave it to you.

_They all start fighting, and AJ ends up next to Lauren._

AJ- Aren't you going to ask about Angela?

Lauren- What? I already knew she was gonna be here.

_Angela drops down next to them,_

Angela- Unlike _some_ people, Lauren visits frequently. I need _someone_ to talk to about the awful magazines they have for us in juvie.

_AJ looks at Lauren quizzically._

Lauren- It's a great help for training my willpower.

_Hannah takes down several enemies with her heels and hat, but is eventually cornered._

Hannah- A little help, someone?

_Charlie, who is shooting enemies from the air, drops down. Dozens of guns unfold from his shoulders._

Charlie- Will this be enough?

Hannah- Show-off.

_Charlie blows away all the enemies. One is left standing, and Hannah throws her heel like a boomerang, defeating them. Lauren corners the last of the attackers._

Player- Wait, wait! I'm a hacker, I can help you get into the mainframe!

Lauren- I am the mainframe.

Player- That doesn't even make-

_Lauren lights him up, and turns to the rest of the group._

Lauren- So are we gonna take down the Whisperer or what?

Angela- You know that the Whisperer is the wizard?

Lauren- Duh. It's got his name written all over it.

Charlotte- First, we need to find James and Will. Charlie, do you have any tech that can locate them.

Charlie- You know it.

_A massive spyglass unfurls from Charlie's eye. He looks around, and is taken aback a bit._

Charlie- That's…what are they doing?

Angela- Uh-oh. Do they need some privacy?

Charlie- What, no!? Just… come on.

Hannah- Um, I'm not riding in that cramped jet again, especially with _her_.

_She jerks her hands towards Lauren's massive frame._

Lauren- I might have a better idea…

AJ- Oh, no.

_We cut to AJ, Charlotte, Angela, and Hannah strapped to Charlie, who has turned into a rocket._

Charlie- You're right, this was a great idea!

Angela- Um, Lauren. This is sort of the opposite of what needs to be happening right now.

Charlotte- Whatever…

Lauren- Fire away, Charlie!

_Charlie takes off while AJ, Angela, and Hannah scream. Lauren grabs on to the tail end of the rocket, riding it like a surfboard. AJ pulls up his game interface and takes a screenshot._

AJ- That's gonna be my screen saver later.

_Charlie crashes into the ground, transforming back into his normal form. The others get to their feet grumbling._

Charlie- You alright, everyone?

Hannah- Ugh… not exactly the way you should treat a princess.

Charlie- If you can't pluck a chicken, then don't hang around farmers.

Hannah- Um… I'm pescatarian.

Lauren- Whew, that was fun! Where's James and Will?

_Suddenly, they are all forced to leap back when a wave of fire crashes against the ground._

AJ- What?

Charlie- I tried to tell you guys…

_They all look up to see two groups of players clashing. At the center of the conflict are James and Will battling each other._

Angela- They _would_.

Lauren- Hey, you two! Stop it!

_James and Will look over, startled._

James- Uh, we're kind of in the middle of something here.

Will- Yeah, could you _not_ right now.

James- By the way, hi, Angela. Sorry for getting you locked up and all that.

_They turn back to each other and continue their battle._

Angela- Well… it looks like we'll have to stop this the hard way.

Lauren- I think you mean the fun way.

_She pulls out her guns and starts shooting down players. The others start fighting as well, and eventually Charlotte gets to James and Will. She kicks Will aside, and he flicks his tail indignantly._

Will- _Charlotte_. Don't get in my way. I need to settle this.

Charlotte- What are you guys even fighting over?

Will- Well, we were going to lead an attack on the Whisperer's castle, but he wanted to be in charge and attacked me!

James- Nuh-uh! You started it!

Will- No, you started it!

_Charlotte rubs her head in exasperation, stepping aside._

Charlotte- Ugh, just kill each other. I don't even care.

_Will shoots some fire at James, and he responds with some blasts of heavenly light. However, they are both struck by electric pulses, and fall to the ground. Angela walks up to them, her stun gun steaming._

Angela- Girls, girls, you're both pretty. Can we please move on now?

_James and Will get up and look around._

Will- Where's my army?

Lauren- Yeah, sorry. We took care of them.

James- Ugh, Lauren! They could have been useful assets.

Lauren- They seemed pretty useless when I was fighting them.

James- But… which one of us gets to be the leader?

Charlie- How about neither of you?

Hannah- Yeah. On the outside, you might be in charge, but in here we're all in the same boat.

Will- But… who's going to make a needlessly complex plan?

Charlotte- Who said we were making a plan?

_We cut to them outside the Whisperer's castle, watching monsters enter while holding candy._

James- Hm… if we could take one of those monsters out and steal their clothing, maybe we could-

_Lauren slaps the back of his head._

Lauren- Think simple, Orwick!

Will- I think I've got.

_James rolls his eyes._

James- Of _course_ you do.

_We cut to the inside of the castle, where monsters are taking candy up into the giant jagged spire. Suddenly, a part of the wall explodes with fire. Will flies in, bringing in more fire. The others follow, attacking all the monsters. Angela fires a grappling hook up and the spire and is pulled upwards, shooting enemies along the way. AJ and Hannah take on a clump of enemies while Charlie, James, and Will shoot down from above. Lauren tosses a grenade and grabs Hannah and AJ._

Lauren- Come on, we have to look away.

Hannah- But what if-

Lauren- Shush! Just do it!

_They look away as the grenade explodes, except for Hannah who peers over her shoulder. Lauren laughs as she pulls out her guns._

Lauren- God, why can't this place be open all year long?

AJ- Now that you mention it, that is kind of a weird marketing decision.

_James looks down from above._

James- It's Mr. Liev, AJ. He's not exactly the most genius businessman ever.

_Suddenly, lightning crackles and dark storm clouds gather above the castle. Charlie, Angela, and Will land on the ground, looking up as the top of the spire explodes from lightning._

AJ- Oh, no.

_Angela smirks._

Angela- I was wondering when he'd show his face.

_We zoom in on the figure to reveal the Whisperer dressed in long wizard robes and holding a large staff topped with a crystal._

Whisperer- Ah, good to see you all! It's time to prove that even in a game, I-

_He is stopped when Hannah throws a high heel at him. He flies back._

Whisperer- Hannah! Let me finish my speech!

_Hannah throws another high heel, and he ducks under it._

Whisperer- Ugh, fine. Prepare to die!

_He raises his staff, firing a storm of lightning down at them. They scatter, and Will shoots some fire at him, which he freezes._

Whisperer- You know, you really shouldn't have made an enemy of Mr. Liev. He gave me all sorts of cheat codes… I'm the most powerful player on the server.

Angela- Oh, shut up!

_She fires her grappling hook and zooms towards him, firing her pistols at him. He creates a barrier in front of himself, but she simply grapples above him, swinging down and kicking him backwards. He crashes into a wall, and before he can get up, Charlotte appears in a cloud of smoke and clashes her katana against his staff. Eventually, he knocks her off with a burst of fire, glaring at Angela._

Whisperer- Poor Angela, no matter what, you're no match for me.

_He fires a lightning bolt at her, but James and Will intercept it with fire and light, knocking the Whisperer straight through the spire. Charlie tosses Hannah and AJ at him, and he is forced to fend off both of their attacks before knocking them to the ground with a burst of air. Charlie lands next to Lauren, and she taps his shoulder._

Lauren- Charlie, big gun, now!

_Charlie jumps into Lauren's arms, transforming into a massive gun. Lauren fires him, a giant white projectile exploding against the Whisperer and sending him flying all the way to the ground. The gang surrounds him, Angela pointing a gun down at him._

Angela- This won't fix anything, but it'll sure make me feel a lot better.

_She fires on him, but the earth closes in around the Whisperer, protecting him from harm._

Will- Give it up, Whisperer. You're alone!

_The Whisperer rises up into the air, shedding the earth from his body._

Whisperer- Ah, but I'm not alone… and I'm done playing around. Edward!

_The gang looks around, then the earth starts to shake._

Hannah- Um, guys!?

James- Of course! Of course it couldn't be this easy!

_The castle starts to rise, revealing that the entire castle of jagged metal is a suit of armor around one massive figure: Edward._

AJ- He wasn't kidding about those cheat codes! Edward's huge!

_Edward's hand rises near them, and James pushes AJ towards it._

James- Hey, AJ, you can take him, right? Of course you can, of course you can. Have fun!

_James creates a barrier of light around the rest of the group._

Hannah- James!

_Edward growls, curling a finger and flicking AJ, who goes flying offscreen far, far away._

James- Well, that went nowhere.

Charlotte- Charlie, blowtorch.

_Charlie heats up Charlotte's katana, and she runs up Edward's arm, slicing holes in his armor. Lauren fires several rockets up at Edward while Charlie unfurls dozens of guns and fires at him as well. James and Will fire light and fire, and Hannah hacks at Edward's foot._

Whisperer- Oh, you're pathetic!

_Edward shakes Charlotte off, and then moves his hand to smash everyone. Lauren manages to hold up his hand for a moment._

Lauren- I can… I can hold him!

Charlotte- She can't hold him.

Lauren- Shut up, Charlotte! I've-

_The Whisperer flies by and fires some lightning at them, knocking them all to the ground. Before they can get up, Edward picks them up, trying to crush them between his hands. James tries to make a shield, but it slowly shrinks._

Whisperer- Yes… give me that sweet, sweet candy!

_A voice calls from offscreen._

AJ- That's enough!

_The Whisperer looks down to see AJ. Edward stops trying to crush the others and drops them into his hands._

Whisperer- What? Edward, why would you stop crushing them just because the enemy said so? Destroy them!

_Before Edward can start crushing them again, Charlie turns into a rocket and flies everyone away._

Whisperer- Great job, AJ! You've delayed your inevitable doom! Why didn't you just stay put when Edward knocked you into next week?

_AJ smirks._

AJ- Thanks for that, by the way. I guess Mr. Liev wanted to give us normal players a chance of beating you… or he just forgot to remove it.

_He pulls out a glowing star labelled 'Power-Up'_

Whisperer- No!

_AJ crushes it and starts to glow._

Whisperer- Edward, destroy him!

_Edward moves to crush him, but AJ easily slices through his entire hand. Edward bleeds candy, and AJ leaps high off the ground, raising his sword above his head. Charlie unfurls an eyepiece to look at AJ, and it explodes._

Charlie- His power level… it's massive!

_AJ yells, falling down and slashing down Edward's helmet._

Whisperer- Edward!

_Edward falls back, his body under the castle slowly turning to massive pieces of candy. AJ lands on the ground, turning towards the Whisperer just in time to have his sword zapped away by another lightning bolt. The Whisperer creates a massive swirl of fire, preparing to fire it at AJ._

Hannah- AJ!

_In slow motion, she throws her heel in the air. AJ leaps up over the Whisperer's fire, grabbing the heel and slashing it down across the Whisperer. The Whisperer starts to glow as he rises up in the air._

Whisperer- I couldn't have… no… no… no!

_A large white flash of light explodes across the screen. When we cut back, everyone is buried under mounds of candy._

AJ- I… I did it!

Hannah- Nice job, AJ!

Lauren- Come on, I feel warmed up! Let's get some more candy! I'm sure we can find a player around here somewhere!

Charlie- Lauren… I think we'll be fine. Let the people have their portion.

_Lauren narrows her eyes._

Lauren- Are you a commie, Charlie?

_Lauren bursts out laughing, and Charlie joins her._

James- How are they even going to get this much candy to us?

Angela- I guess we'll see.

Will- Don't worry, Angela. We'll make sure you get your part.

Angela- The candy wasn't really what mattered. I just wanted to fight with you guys again.

Charlotte- Really?

Angela- Well, some candy for my troubles would be nice, too!

_They swim in the candy and laugh for a bit, and we fade to Will's house, where the gang is sitting outside, no longer in their Halloween costumes. Trucks filled with candy are lining the streets._

Hannah- Wow… that much, huh?

AJ- How much do we each get?

James- We're keeping one truck for ourselves, giving two to the students of Forrester, and we're saving the rest for Woodsworth and Maple Valley once they're on our side.

Charlie- It won't be long. Now that we've convinced all the tribes, we just need to prove ourselves in battle.

_Will wraps his arms around James' and Charlie's shoulders._

Will- Well, you know, it wasn't all about the candy. It was about the bonding we experienced on the way.

Charlie- Agreed. Let's play again next year.

Charlotte- Not onscreen, though. That would just get repetitive.

James- Oh, of course.

Hannah- Absolutely.

Will- We have to keep some things to ourselves, after all.

_He winks, and the camera blinks out._

_End episode._


	34. Rule the School S2E14

**Episode Fourteen: The Maple Lion**

Synopsis: The gang engages in a battle to decide the fate of Maple Valley.

_We open on quick shots of weapons being picked up and armies lining up in a large field outside of Maple Valley. Cauldrons of poison are brought out to the Jadebiter front lines. The Redclaws form a shield wall and we see Nightfeathers scattered across the field, in trees or on the walls of the school. Rita and Xavier bang drums as the Sunlions and the Forrester gang enter, all wielding their weapons. Charlie locks eyes first with Amaru, then Karasu and Lupa, each pair nodding to each other. Then he turns to the Forrester kids._

Charlie- Y'all ready?

Will- Let's get it over with.

James- Preferably quickly.

Lauren- Aw, come on, guys, have some fun!

Charlotte- Eventually, they'll learn to savor the fun things in life… like kicking butt.

_AJ throws down the off-brand Gatorade he just finished chugging._

AJ- Let's do this!

Hannah- Pace yourself, AJ. That's your third Croc-ade today.

_Richard walks up._

Richard- Sir… look.

_They all turn to see the dark green Woodsworth army arriving, led by the Whisperer, Quentin, Lydia, and Ben. The Whisperer catches James' eye and grins widely._

Charlie- Woodsworth army, right on cue.

James- If we can defeat their small force here and gain the support of Maple Valley… the war might be ours to win.

_Charlie rolls his eyes and puts his arm around James' shoulders._

Charlie- Stop looking so far ahead, buddy. We still gotta win this thing before we can move forwards.

_James awkwardly slides out under his arm. Will gives Charlie a look and claps his hands once._

Will- Let's begin, shall we?

_Charlie looks at Charlotte and Lauren with bemusement and walks forward. The other tribe leaders walk forward as well. They all look towards the Whisperer, but he doesn't budge. Ignoring him, they all bow, then Charlie pulls out his ribbon, writing out numbers in the air as the drums beat loudly. 3…2…1, then Charlie snaps it back and points forward. The other tribe leaders let out a yell as everyone charges forwards towards the middle. They all meet in one giant clash, Lauren throwing herself into the fray. We see James looking across the battlefield to the Jadebiters, who held back a large force._

Amaru- Fools… they're right where we want them.

_He holds up an arm, and a group of archers nock their bows with arrows that are dripping with poison._

James- Run!

Amaru- Fire!

_The battlefield is broken up by a rain of arrows as people struggle to avoid them. Those that are hit immediately fall ill and groan on the floor. Charlie sees Rita on the ground._

Charlie- Rita!

Rita- I-I'll be fine…keep fighting!

_Charlie nods and whips his ribbon towards a group of enemies. We cut to AJ and Hannah running away from the rain of arrows. Suddenly, smoke erupts around them._

AJ- What?

_The smoke clears to reveal Nightfeathers surrounding AJ and Hannah._

Hannah- Nightfeathers!

_They go back to back and barely manage to fight off the Nightfeathers. Hannah bashes aside the last one, and hears laughing from above them. They look up and see Karasu perched on the wall of the school, and they mockingly clap._

Karasu- Oh, _well done_ , little birds.

AJ- S-surrender now, Karasu!

_More Sunlion soldiers arrive to back AJ and Hannah up. They charge forwards towards Karasu, who moves backwards across the wall, more Nightfeathers appearing from nowhere to fend off AJ and Hannah. Then we cut to James fighting on the battlefield. He knocks aside an enemy, but notices something that makes his eyes widen: a massive Redclaw shield wall marching towards the main battle, spears poking through. He gestures to Xavier and Richard, fighting nearby._

James- Xavier, Richard!

_He points towards the Redclaws and they nod, summoning some Sunlions to charge towards the wall. They crash up against it, knocking some Redclaws out of formation. Suddenly, the Redclaws back up, forming a circle around them. James falls to the floor as the shield he is pressed up against steps back._

James- Oof!

Richard- James…

_James gets up and readies his spear as he sees the crowd part for Lupa. She walks into the middle of the circle, flanked by three guards. The Redclaws bash their shields up and down as Lupa raises an eyebrow._

Lupa- You can have the first move.

_Some Sunlions charge at her, but she easily knocks them aside. James, Richard, and Xavier steel themselves at Lupa grins and charges forward. Then we cut to Will and Charlotte fighting by each other's side. Will is pinned down by an enemy, but Charlotte pulls them off and tosses them aside, helping Will up. Then she dispatches an enemy behind her without looking. Will rolls his eyes._

Will- Show off.

_They both turn their heads as they hear a horn. Amaru grins as the Biters release another wave of arrows. Will and Charlotte both roll to the side._

Charlotte- We have to stop this rain of arrows!

Will- Agreed. Let's go.

_Charlotte whistles and summons some Lions as they run at the Biter archers. Amaru narrows his eyes and readies his own bow. Charlotte and Will both dodge his shots as they crash into the Biters, disrupting their back line. Then we cut to a giant circle of enemies rushing towards a single foe- Lauren. She knocks aside enemy after enemy with her axe, laughing the whole time. She turns around to see an enemy rushing at her, but just before she falls, a ribbon wraps around her and yanks her out of harm's way. She looks over to see Charlie fighting his way through the circle of enemies._

Lauren- I had that, Notch!

Charlie- A simple thank you will do, Lauren.

_The two of them make short work of the rest of the enemies, but hear screams echoing from one part of the battlefield. They look to see the Woodsworth troops advancing, decimating their foes with guns and splattering the battlefield with paint. Charlie grits his teeth._

Charlie- Those cheaters… it's time to end this.

Lauren- I'm with you… but they have superior firepower. We'll need a strategy.

_Charlie whispers in Lauren's ear, and she nods. Then he turns to the Sunlions around him and makes a series of complicated bird whistles. They all nod, and he and Lauren run away. We go behind the Woodsworth lines and see Ben, Lydia, and Quentin cackling at they shoot away at the Maple Valley students. The Whisperer watches, satisfied._

Lydia- Some rules were just meant to be broken, eh, boss?

Whisperer- Of course! Why would we choose to fight with primitive weapons when we can win this battle easily with our firearms.

_Quentin turns to Ben, who is standing behind a makeshift cannon._

Quentin- Ben… fire the cannon!

Ben- With pleasure!

_A group of Maple Valley students are blown away by the cannon, and Ben giggles excitedly, interrupted by a loud yelling. They look over to see a group of Sunlions avoiding paintballs and crashing in to the front lines._

Lydia- Sir, they're in too close!

Whisperer- Hmph. No matter… their measly force can't beat our entire army.

_The Whisperer suddenly hears sounds of battle behind him, turning to see Charlie and Lauren coming from the back straight towards him._

Whisperer- What?!

_Quentin turns to some Woodsworth soldiers._

Quentin- Deal with them, now!

_Charlie and Lauren draw the attention of some troops, allowing the Sunlions to push in even more. We cut to Will and Charlotte cutting down Biters. Arrows whiz by Will's face, and he looks at Amaru, narrowing his eyes. He runs over to a Biter cauldron of poison, dipping his trident in. He runs at Amaru, dodging arrows and thrusting his poisoned trident into Amaru's chest. A moment passes, and Will looks up to a smirking Amaru._

Amaru- Over time, you develop an immunity…

_He knocks Will back._

Amaru- It was a nice try, though, kid.

_He spins an arrow between his fingers and nocks it. However, his eyes widen as Charlotte leaps off of Will's back, kicking him to the ground and pointing her blade down at Amaru._

Amaru- Not bad…

_He stands up and bows._

Amaru- The Jadebiters are at your disposal.

_Charlotte surveys the battlefield until something catches her eye._

Charlotte- You're gonna help us out with something…

_We cut to some Sunlions led by AJ and Hannah trying to attack Karasu and their Nightfeathers, but they are perched on the wall and raining down shurikens from above._

AJ- Get down here and fight us!

_Karasu chuckles._

Karasu- I don't think so, little bird.

_Karasu looks to the distance and their eyes widen in shock, and we see a rain of Jadebiter arrows raining down on the wall, knocking some Nightfeathers down. Karasu disappears into a cloud of smoke._

Hannah- What?

_She and AJ turn to see Charlotte and Will standing aside Amaru._

AJ- Yeah! All right!

_His celebration is cut short when Karasu appears in front of him, kicking him back. She appears again in front of Hannah, crashing against her shield then appearing behind her to knock her back. AJ and Hannah go back to back as Karasu assails them from all sides._

AJ- She's too fast!

Hannah- Shush… just watch the pattern.

_AJ and Hannah fend off Karasu's attacks until they are able to predict where they will appear next. In an instant, they attack them from both sides, knocking Karasu back. Karasu is shocked._

Karasu- What…

_AJ points his sword at Karasu, and they compose themself._

Karasu- You win this one, little birds.

_They nods to their Nightfeathers, and they all disappear in clouds of smoke. We cut to James being knocked back by Lupa as she laughs. We see Xavier and Richard groaning on the ground as well._

Lupa- Finally… the Redclaws will have our rightful conquest!

_The other Redclaws yell in excitement. James struggles to get up, rushing at Lupa and crossing spears with her. She holds up her shield, but James aims for the legs. His sweep has no effect, and she picks James up and throws him against the wall of shields. He is pushed back towards her, and she whales on him WWE style. She turns her head, however, when she hears chaotic sounds from the Redclaw lines. Charlotte, Will, AJ, Hannah, and Amaru all burst through the wall of shields._

Lupa- What is this?!

_Will sees James on the ground and runs over to help him up._

Will- James! Are you okay?

James- Ugh… I… I'm fine.

_Lupa is cornered by the rest of the gang._

Lupa- Amaru? You're working with them?

Amaru- Sorry, Lupa… they won fair and square.

_He fires an arrow towards her, but she blocks it. AJ and Hannah rush forwards, eventually knocking the shield from her hands._

Charlotte- Surrender now.

Lupa- A Redclaw never surrenders! Our tradition is fight until the last man!

_She rushes forwards, but Charlotte swiftly disarms her, her spear flying away. Charlotte presses her blade against Lupa's neck, and she gulps._

Lupa- Eh, who cares about tradition anyway.

_We cut to Charlie and Lauren having a blast taking down Woodsworth troops. Charlie pulls an enemy into Lauren's axe, and they throw enemies to each other to beat up. A paintball whizzes past Lauren's face, and she turns to see Quentin, Lydia, and Ben approaching her and Charlie._

Quentin- The Whisperer would _love_ to capture you to.

_Lauren rolls her eyes._

Lauren- I'm sure he would, but we're not talking fantasy right now.

_Quentin raises an eyebrow and they engage in combat. Lauren takes on Ben, and Charlie takes on Quentin. However, Lauren is continuously distracted by Lydia shooting at her, and she becomes frustrated and knocks Ben back._

Lauren- Notch!

_Charlie immediately understands and trips Quentin up. Lauren chucks her axe through the air, taking down several enemies before knocking Lydia back. Ben looks up and sees Lauren unarmed._

Ben- Hehe…idiot.

_He runs towards her as Charlie lashes out his ribbon, pulling back Lauren's axe just in time for her to hit Ben in the face. Charlie ties up Quentin and spins him backwards, dizzying him. They high-five and turn towards the rest of the Woodsworth troops only to see the combined Sunlion, Jadebiter and Redclaw forces decimating them led by Amaru, Lupa, and the gang. Will, Charlotte, James, AJ, and Hannah run up to Lauren and Charlie._

Charlie- Well done, all of you.

_James surveys the groaning students behind Lauren and Charlie._

James- Looks like you two did some good work yourselves.

_Lupa and Amaru approach._

Lupa- The Sunlions have won this battle.

Amaru- The school is finally united under one leader…

_They both kneel to Charlie._

AJ- What about Karasu?

_Charlie waves his hand._

Charlie- They like to have fun, but they'll submit to the results of the battle.

_Will suddenly lifts his head._

Will- The Whisperer! We can capture him!

_They look around until they see the Whisperer being carried away by Edward._

Whisperer- This isn't over, Forrester! This war will be mine!

_Lauren readies her axe, but Charlie pushes her arm down._

Charlie- Leave him… you have all the troops you need to win the war.

_Lauren looks over the assembled Maple Valley army._

Lauren- Not too bad…

_James waves a hand and walks up to Charlie._

James- Prepare the armies for war. We need to marshal our troops back at Forrester, but we'll be in touch about our next move.

_Charlie laughs, walking over to Amaru and Lupa._

Charlie- Of course…but first we have to celebrate Maple Valley style! A big feast, displaying all the prisoners of war, and of course, some fighting!

_The Maple Valley students roar in agreement, and James laughs and rolls his eyes._

James- Whatever you feel is necessary. Come on, everyone.

_The Forrester gang says their goodbyes and walks away as the Maple Valley army cheers, then we cut to the celebration in the Maple Valley dining hall later. The house leaders are sitting on a table above everyone else. Charlie is forcing Amaru to get up with a blindfold as he laughs._

Charlie- Okay, you ready?

Amaru- You know it, Notch!

_Some students bring out a target, and Charlie hands Amaru a bow. He starts to aim it way off mark, then spins around and fires, hitting a bullseye. He pulls off the blindfold and everyone cheers._

Lupa- Well done, Amaru!

_Charlie walks down to Rita._

Charlie- You feeling better, Rita?

Rita- Yeah… I think the poison's wearing off.

_Charlie grins._

Charlie- Great! Why don't you be tonight's first show?

Rita- What?

_Charlie shoves her into the middle of a circle of students where another warrior is waiting. Everyone watches and cheers as they fight. In the end, Rita stands victorious, and everyone starts to drink and party. We see Lydia, Quentin, and Ben as prisoners watching it._

Lydia- How barbaric…

_We see Charlie and Richard sitting down and drinking together._

Richard- You know, I wasn't sure about you at first. When you beat me and became the leader of the Lions, I thought it would surely be our doom.

Charlie- Appreciate your faith in me, Richard!

Richard- _But_ now, seeing all of this… I could never have united the school. Well done.

_Richard and Charlie give each other a grin, and then Richard pulls Charlie up._

Richard- Come on! Let's see those skills!

_Charlie tries to resist, but he's put in the middle of the circle facing down four guys. The crowd cheers, and he sheepishly grins and gets out his ribbon. The warriors rush at him, and the screen goes black. When we come back, Charlie is standing behind them, and they look down and realize they've all been wrapped in his ribbon. He gives a pull, and they all fall down, but to the amusement of the crowd. Charlie grins, then looks deviously up at the other house leaders._

Lupa- No way, Notch!

_We immediately cut to Lupa in the middle of the circle, knocking enemies aside, even sending one into the ceiling with a painful sounding thud._

Lupa- He…he's fine.

_We see Amaru in the middle. He fires several arrows into the air, and just as his enemies are about to hit him, his arrows fall down and hit them. Then we see Karasu in the middle. They immediately throw down a smoke bomb. When the smoke clears, their enemies are lying on the floor and they are gone. The crowd looks to see them grinning in their seat. We see various shots of partying, then we cut to Lydia, Quentin, and Ben being used as targets for axe throwing, tied to the wall._

Quentin- Ugh… this is so demeaning!

_He tries to move his head aside, but is hit by an axe. Charlie is hanging with the Lions, but Lupa calls his name._

Lupa- Charlie!

Amaru- Come make a toast!

_Charlie rolls his eyes and walks up._

Charlie- Every student of Maple Valley united… this is everything all of us have worked for! I will lead all of us to victory, and Maple Valley will be known by other schools once again! This starts with helping Forrester in their war, but afterwards… we have the power to do what we want! To strength!

Crowd- To strength!

Charlie- To battle!

Crowd- To battle!

_Karasu stands up and points towards Charlie._

Karasu- To the Maple Lion!

_The crowd roars out._

Crowd- To the Maple Lion!

_Everyone takes a drink, but Charlie pauses for a second to examine the united tribes before he drinks. Amaru's eyes widen, however, as he takes his sip, and he spits it out._

Amaru- Don't drink that!

_Charlie doesn't take a sip, but Lupa has already drank._

Lupa- What?

_She collapses onto the table, unconscious. Amaru tries to get up, but Karasu stands up and kicks him back. We see that their cup is full. Amaru scrambles to grab his bow and pushes Charlie back._

Amaru- Go!

_Karasu approaches Amaru and whistles. Nightfeathers suddenly stand up and begin attacking the other students, who have also been poisoned and are dropping unconscious. One Nightfeather drops down and frees Quentin, Lydia, and Ben._

Ben- What?

_He turns to Quentin, who is smirking._

Ben- You knew about this?

_We cut to a long tracking shot of Charlie trying to make his way through the dining hall, fighting off various Nightfeathers. Rita, Richard, and Xander arrive by his side._

Xander (sign language)- I…I'm feeling light-headed.

Richard- Now's not the time! We have to get Charlie out of here!

Charlie- What? No, I'm not leaving-

Rita- There's no time to argue.

_A group of freed Woodsworth troops approaches them. Richard pushes Charlie back and yells to the crowd._

Richard- Protect your leader!

_Warriors from the Sunlions, Jadebiters, and Redclaws gather around Charlie, dragging him away and attempting to escort him out. Rita slams aside several Woodsworth soldiers, but Ben jumps on top of her and starts slashing at her. Richard and Quentin engage in a swordfight, and just when Richard has Quentin on the ground, Quentin shoots him. Richard doubles back, and Quentin gets up, shooting him again and again. Xander is taking on some enemies when Lydia shoots him from afar. She shoots him several more times, but he shrugs it off and runs towards her. More Woodsworth soldiers emerge beside Lydia, overwhelming him with a barrage of paintballs, shooting him even when he is on the ground. The dining hall is stained with paint as Charlie looks back and sees his friends all defeated._

Charlie- No!

_The warriors escorting begin to falter, but they finally reach the door. They hold back the enemies._

Warrior- Go! Escape!

_Charlie looks back and sees Amaru's body fall to the floor, Karasu walking over him. Karasu grins, and Charlie becomes enraged, running at them. He wraps their leg and pulls them towards him, but they disappear. Charlie immediately lashes behind him, hitting Karasu just as they appear. He runs over to them, pinning them against the wall._

Charlie- Why? Why would you do this?

_Karasu grins and kicks him back. He fights off enemy after enemy, but eventually is surrounded. He hears the creak of the doors opening, and turns to see the Whisperer and Edward walking into the room. Charlie's eyes widen, and he screams, rushing at the Whisperer. Karasu appears behind him, kicking his legs out from under him. The Whisperer bends down to look at Charlie, smiling._

Whisperer- When will you people learn better?

_End episode._


	35. Rule the School S2E15

**Episode Fifteen: Can You Feel It?**

Synopsis: The gang receives some bad news.

_We open on depressing shots of students walking around Forrester. Fearful whispers flit around the hallways, and we see Will observing from above. He enters a room, where the gang is sitting down, morale clearly low._

Will- Guys… we have to do something.

Hannah- What is there to do?

AJ- Maple Valley was our last hope in this war.

_Will looks to James for support, but gets nothing. He rubs his head._

Will- Lauren, go help the troops train. See if you can get morale up.

_Lauren rolls her eyes, but picks up her axe and trudges out of the room. Will also gets a text message and looks at his, his mood picking up._

Will- Guys… a Woodsworth patrol was spotted not far from here.

Charlotte- Hm. I don't know why they would need a patrol when they've already won this war.

Will- Hannah, Charlotte, AJ, if you guys could take down just _one_ patrol… it might show the students that there's still hope.

Hannah- Seems pretty pointless to me.

Will- I wasn't exactly asking.

Hannah- Ugh.

_She gets up, pulling AJ along with her. Charlotte follows. Will turns to James, but he is looking intensely at his phone._

Will- James?

_James ignores him. Will huffs and sits down next to him._

Will- Fine. I'll wait.

_We cut to Charlotte, AJ, and Hannah walking down the hallway._

Hannah- Why do you think Woodsworth hasn't attacked yet?

Charlotte- You know the Whisperer, he's probably hunched over some table planning his assault right now.

_We immediately cut to an silent hallway at Woodsworth before the Whisperer turns the corner, cueing the music as he dances in celebration. He passes some prisoners of war, grinning at them and playing air guitar on his cane. Edward arrives and comically bends over so he and the Whisperer can dance together. The Whisperer's crew comes in too, Ben and Lydia dancing together and Karasu and Quentin doing the same. They throw a door open, and we see them dancing through various memories of Woodsworth's victories. First we see them at the assembly and Angela's arrest. The Whisperer walks up to a frozen Angela and twirls her around. Lydia puts on a policeman's hat and laughs. Then we move to the battle at Pine Park and Forrester's defeat. The Whisperer winks at his own frozen self, and Edward frowns, his unconscious body being dragged away. Quentin and Ben walk up to James, Will, and AJ and start messing with them, knocking their legs out from under them. Then we cut to last episode, where Charlie is standing in the middle of the dining hall, his ribbon frozen in midair. Karasu draws on Amaru's face with a marker while the Whisperer wraps himself in Charlie's ribbon, pushing him over and grabbing the ribbon. Then we cut back to Woodsworth, where the Whisperer still has the ribbon. He wraps Lydia in it and sends her spinning forward, and she finishes with a bow. The rest of the Woodsworth troops join in the dancing as well, ending on a pose._

Whisperer- Alright! One more time, anyone?

_Nobody seems interested, and he sighs._

Whisperer- Ugh, fine. To the planning room it is.

_We cut to Lauren facing the Forrester troops. She is clearly angry._

Lauren- Come on. We have to prepare.

Soldier- For what? We're going to lose.

_Lauren sighs._

Lauren- Whatever, just fight me or something.

_The student sighs and walks towards Lauren. She immediately sends him flying across the room. The slightest smile appears on her face._

Lauren- You know, this training thing might not be so useless… I've got some anger that I need to let out.

_The students look nervously towards the doors, but Lauren clicks her fingers and her deputies shut them. She turns towards the students._

Lauren- Let's see what you've got!

_She leaps down, knocking her fellow students aside. One falls to the ground, and she helps him up._

Lauren- Hey, get up.

_She immediately knocks him down again, and he groans_

Lauren- We're not getting out of here until someone takes me down!

_The students all look at each other nervously. Then we cut to Charlotte, AJ, and Hannah walking through the forest with some Forrester soldiers._

Charlotte- Ugh, anyone see that Woodsworth patrol?

AJ- No.

Hannah- Guys… what's happening to Charlie right now?

Charlotte- Well, we'll find out soon enough once the Whisperer captures all of us.

Hannah- I guess.

_A pause._

Hannah- So there's really no way we can win this?

Charlotte- Our reports indicate that the Nightfeathers have joined Woodsworth. With the troops we lost at Pine Park… there's no way we can mount a defense.

AJ- But what if we-

_Charlotte holds up a hand._

Charlotte- Don't. Every time something has gotten my hopes up in this war, everything comes crashing down.

AJ- I never saw you as the type to give up, Charlotte.

Charlotte- I'm just looking at the facts.

Hannah- Hold on!

Charlotte- You both know I'm right.

_Hannah shakes her head._

Hannah- No, no, look.

_Charlotte turns to see the Woodsworth patrol walking nearby. She signals to the Forrester troops, and they charge forward. They engage with the Woodsworth troops, if a little halfheartedly. Eventually, however, Charlotte looks around to see that they are surrounded. Charlotte prepares to fight, but AJ and Hannah push her past the Woodsworth troops as they fight._

AJ- Get out of here, Charlotte!

_Charlotte looks surprised, but turns around and runs. We see the captured Forrester troops._

Woodsworth Soldier- Come on, let's take them back to the camp.

_They drag them away, and we cut to the Whisperer strolling down a hallway, opening a door to reveal Charlie tied up to a wall._

Whisperer- I do hope you've been treated well by my associates.

_Charlie stays defiantly silent as the Whisperer shuts the door._

Whisperer- Let's begin, shall we?

_He walks over to a table, taking off his eye patch. He turns to Charlie and examines him. He flicks Charlie's hair and starts humming to himself. Charlie struggles, moving his head. The Whisperer chuckles._

Whisperer- **You're getting a glimpse into the greatest mind… of our age. You're getting a glimpse inside my head.**

_He looks over to Charlie, grinning._

Whisperer- **Can you feel it? The lunacy, the ecstasy… the madness.**

_He forces Charlie to face him. Charlie blinks to make sure he's seeing what he's seeing as the Whisperer's eyes start to swirl. The Whisperer laughs as the screen goes black. Charlie falls onscreen and looks around at the black expanse around him. Echoes of the Whisperer's laughter ring. Suddenly the Whisperer appears, pointing at Charlie as a massive stream of rainbow light sweeps Charlie off his feet and flips him every which way as he flies through the air._

Whisperer- **Just let the insanity carry you awa-ay…awa-ay…away-ay-ay.**

Echo- **Away-ay-ay.**

Whisperer- **Can you feel it? Can you feel it? Can you feel, can you feel… the madness?**

_Charlie is deposited on the ground and stands up, frantically looking around. All is quiet for a moment, and then multiple Whisperers appear, one of every color. They chant as they surround Charlie and move in towards him._

Whisperers- **Can you feel it? Can you feel it? Can you feel it? Can you feel it? Can you feel it? Can you feel it? Can you-**

_The Whisperer all merge together and shoot upwards, knocking Charlie back. We hear the Whisperer's voice as we get a very Pink Elephants-esque sequence with various creatures made of rainbow light trying to assail Charlie._

Whisperer- **Just let the insanity carry you awa-ay… awa-ay…away-ay-ay!**

Echoes- **Away-ay-ay!**

Whisperer- **Away-ay-ay!**

Echoes- **Away-ay-ay!**

Whisperer- **Oh-oh-oh-oh! Oh-oh-oh! Oh-oh!**

_Charlie manages to throw off his assailants, and falls to the ground again._

Whisperer- **Can you feel it? Can you feel it? Can you feel, can you feel… the madness.**

_We slowly fade back to the Whisperer facing Charlie in the real world. The Whisperer recoils. Charlie is shaking._

Charlie- Wha- what did you do!?

Whisperer- I…I…

_The Whisperer shakes his head._

Charlie- What was that?

_The Whisperer composes himself, putting the eye patch back on._

Whisperer- I… I'll be back soon to check on you. In the meantime, I think you need a visit from some of my friends… maybe they can teach you some obedience.

_The Whisperer exits, leaving behind a shaking Charlie. He sees Karasu going to enter the room and stops them._

Whisperer- _Nobody_ sees the prisoner without my permission.

Karasu- But he's-

Whisperer- You chose your side, Karasu. Now let's win this war.

_We cut to Lauren standing over the groaning students of Forrester's army._

Lauren- Come on! Get up! Haven't you learned anything from your training!?

Student- No…

Lauren- What was that?

Student- No, because you haven't been training us!

_Lauren is slightly taken aback, and looks around to see everyone looking real sad._

Student 2- What's even the point of this? Can't we just wait for the inevitable?

_Lauren looks over to Mr. Garcia and her deputies, who shrug. Lauren groans loudly and starts to give a pep talk, Lauren style._

Lauren- God, you guys are such sad, pathetic, losers!

_The students look at her, slightly confused._

Lauren- Doesn't that make you mad?

Student- Um… what?

_Lauren walks up to the student._

Lauren- Doesn't that make you mad!?

Student- Um… I guess?

Lauren- So are you just gonna stand there and keep being a loser, or are you gonna do something about it!

Student- But there's no point… we're outnumbered.

Lauren- If we're losing either way, wouldn't you rather go down in a blaze of glory!

_All silence, then one student speaks up from the back._

Student- Yeah!

_Lauren points at that student._

Lauren- I get that you're mad! I'm mad too! So let's use that for something!

Students- Yeah!

Other Students- We can win this!

Lauren- Ugh, now you've got me believing my own nonsense.

_The students stand up, brandishing their weapons._

Lauren- Are you ready to fight for as long as you can?

Students- Yeah!

Lauren- So come on!

_The students rush at her, and we cut to Charlotte standing in the forest._

Charlotte (internal monologue)- I have to rescue them! I'll go back to the school and-

_She thinks about it and slouches a bit._

Charlotte (internal monologue)- They'll be delivered back to Woodsworth by then. There's nothing I can-

_She starts to think more, and throws her hands up._

Charlotte (internal monologue)- No! No! I can't! I would just get captured!

_A squirrel climbing a tree turns to face Charlotte._

Squirrel- It seems like you're in a bit of a dilemma, Charlotte.

Charlotte- Nope! I've made my decision. We were all going to get captured anyway, AJ and Hannah are just ahead of the game. I can't do anything anyway.

Squirrel- Look into your heart, Charlotte. You know that's not true.

Charlotte- What do you know? You're a squirrel.

Squirrel- Why do you think AJ and Hannah helped you escape? They have faith in you, Charlotte.

Charlotte- That's nice of them. If you don't mind, I'll be on my way.

_She walks in place for a couple second._

Squirrel- Charlotte… you're walking in place.

_Charlotte pauses, groaning loudly and stomping her foot against the ground. Finally, she turns around._

Charlotte- Ugh, fine! I'll rescue them!

_The squirrel nods wisely before growing wings and flying off into the sky._

Charlotte- Godspeed, squirrel. Godspeed.

_We cut to AJ and Hannah tied up and being walked through the forest._

AJ- Okay… do you wanna let us go _now_?

_The guards remain silent._

Hannah- Um, okay, AJ. I think ten minutes of that plan was quite enough. Good effort, though.

AJ- Aw, thanks!

_Hannah looks around and sees a moving bush. She raises an eyebrow and smiles. We see the bush slowly creep up behind the soldier in the back, dragging him in and depositing his unconscious body behind the group. The other soldiers look behind and see it and all stop._

Soldier- What happened?

_They go over to examine the bush, and Charlotte leaps out, taking down two soldiers. She brandishes her sword, swiftly taking down the other soldiers guarding AJ, Hannah, and the Forrester soldiers._

AJ- Charlotte!

Hannah- I knew you'd come!

_Charlotte laughs as she unties them._

Charlotte- Sometimes all it takes is some wise words from a squirrel.

_AJ and Hannah confusedly look at each other. Charlotte examines the Woodsworth soldiers around them._

Charlotte- Let's take these guys back to Forrester. We'll show everyone that Woodsworth is not invincible… we can win this!

_AJ and Hannah nod with determination, and we cut to Will sitting next to James, who is still typing on his phone. Will leans over and sees that James is typing on a black screen._

Will- Really, James?

_James finally puts down his phone._

James- What do you want, Will?

Will- I want you to believe that we can win this, James.

_James sighs._

James- I did… but then Angela…and Pine Park… and Charlie…

_Will is quiet for a moment, but then thinks.\_

Will- James… how long did it take for you to overthrow me?

James- Um… three years.

Will- You waited _three years_ just to have your revenge on me, and you can't muster up some drive after a couple losses.

James- This is different… the odds are stacked against us.

Will- They always are! But we've always had everything we've needed.

_We see shots of Lauren, Charlotte, AJ, and Hannah._

Will- Forrester already has everyone we need… and now all we need are leaders.

_Will looks expectantly at James and holds out a hand._

James- And if we lose again?

Will- I have faith in you.

_James smiles and takes Will's hand. We cut to them walking out onto a balcony. Will signals to a cameraman._

Will- Make sure you get our good side.

_We see Lauren arriving with her soldiers who are much more enthusiastic now. Charlotte, AJ, and Hannah also enter with the Forrester troops who are dragging the unconscious Woodsworth troops with them._

Will- I know that we've lost much during this war… but I want every student of Forrester to know that we are not giving up!

_Everyone cheers._

James- Every student will fight, and no matter what, we will keep going. We can lose again and again, but we will _always_ fight for Forrester.

Will- But let's maybe try not to lose again.

_More cheers._

James and Will- Are you with us?

_We see the Whisperer looking at his phone watching a video of James and Will as the crowd cheers. He sighs and puts his phone down, walking down a hallway. He is soon joined by Edward, Quentin, Lydia, Ben, and Karasu. They exit onto a balcony where the combined Woodsworth and Nightfeather forces are waiting underneath. The Whisperer raises his arms and yells, and the army does too. James, Will, and the Forrester students do the same._

_End episode._


	36. Rule the School S2E16

**Episode Sixteen: An Inside Man**

Synopsis: The gang gets a tip from someone from inside Woodsworth.

_We open on a montage showing the various preparations being made at Forrester and Woodsworth. To show the passage of several days, we see the traditional pages falling off of a calendar. James and Will oversee the army's preparations while the Whisperer does the same at Woodsworth. Quentin, Lydia, and Ben prepare the yachts for combat while Charlotte and AJ mounts cannons on the balconies of Forrester. We see Hannah looking through a telescope at Woodsworth while Karasu examines Forrester through binoculars. Lauren viciously attacks a training dummy with a picture of the Whisperer on it. The Whisperer look at a dartboard with the faces of James and Will pasted on it. He blindfolds himself and throws several darts. He takes off the blindfold, and doesn't see any darts in the board. He looks beside him and is startled to see Edward with several darts poking from his chest. Then we see the Whisperer entering Charlie's cell and closing the door. We see James giving a propaganda presentation to the Forrester students. We see the prisoners being used at Woodsworth to transport weapons, including Amaru and Lupa. Finally, we see both schools being manned by their respective armies, and their leaders standing on the balconies, staring across the lake. Then we cut to Charlie, still chained against the wall. A guard comes in, clearly ready to knock some sense into Charlie._

Charlie (slightly mockingly)- Oh, please, no! I couldn't bear anymore torture!

Guard- Eh, too bad, buddy. The Whisperer wants you whipped into shape.

_Charlie pretends to cower, and as the guard approaches, he leans his head forward and grabs the guard's shirt with his teeth. He pulls his head into the wall, knocking him out. Then he uses his teeth to move the unconscious guard around until he can grab the key to his chains, which he uses to unlock his arms and then his legs. He walks over to a table where he grabs his ribbon and puts on his jacket, checking to make sure he has his phone. He hears footsteps and we cut to more guards entering the room to find the unconscious body of the first guard._

Guard 1- The prisoner must have escaped!

Guard 2- We need to search the school now!

_They run out, and we see Charlie come down from the ceiling. We cut to him sneaking around the hallways of Woodsworth, looking for a way out. He notices a group of guards walking towards him, and quickly uses his ribbon to trip up a student in front of them, slipping away. Charlie sighs in relief and immediately runs into Ben as he rounds the corner._

Charlie- Um…

_Ben looks up at Charlie._

Ben- Hello there, good lookin'. Wait… aren't you that prisoner Charlie guy?

Charlie- Um… of course not.

_He lassoes some sunglasses from a nearby student and puts them on._

Charlie- I wear sunglasses, and Charlie doesn't.

_Ben squints._

Ben- I never did see him wear sunglasses…

_He shrugs._

Ben- What is your name, then?

Charlie- Um… Barley?

Ben- Ooh… _exotic_.

Charlie- You wouldn't happen to have chloroform with you, would you?

_Ben takes out a chloroform rag._

Ben- Yeah, why?

_Charlie smothers him and knocks him out, dragging him into an empty classroom and tying him to a chair. Then he pulls open a vent and climbs inside, crawling around the school. We cut to Lauren and Charlotte training against AJ and Hannah._

AJ- You're going down!

_Lauren and Charlotte laugh._

Lauren- This should be a good warm-up.

_AJ runs at Charlotte, and they fight as Lauren jumps on top of Hannah's shield._

Hannah- Hey! You'll ruin my makeup!

_Lauren repeatedly slams her axe against the shield before jumping back and pulling out her pistols, firing. Charlotte is battling with AJ, and is temporarily knocked back._

AJ- Haha! Told ya I'd beat you.

Charlotte- Lauren, a little help here.

_Lauren tosses one of her pistols to Charlotte, and she uses it to shoot AJ several times._

AJ- Ouch! Hey, we didn't bring guns!

Lauren- Expect the unexpected, AJ.

_She knocks Hannah aside into AJ, and they tumble to the ground. Lauren laughs and gives Charlotte a high five._

Charlotte- It was a nice effort though, you guys.

Lauren- No need to be nice, Charlotte. That was pathetic!

_Hannah rolls her eyes as she gets up, brushing herself off. AJ stands up, standing sheepishly._

AJ- Um… best of five?

_Charlotte raises an eyebrow, and gets ready to fight when James and Will burst in._

James- Guys!

Lauren- Aw, we were just about to beat them down again!

Hannah- What is it, James?

James- We've received word from a spy inside Woodsworth, and we don't have much time.

Charlotte- Who? I don't recall being able to get any spies inside Woodsworth.

Will- It's Charlie. He's escaped captivity, and he's trying to get information to us before he gets out of the school.

AJ- What?

Lauren- He's okay?

_Will nods._

Will- This is urgent, so we need all of you to come with us in case we receive any updates on the Whisperer's plans.

James- Finally… some information that could change the course of this war. Come on.

_Everyone nods and follows James and Will out. Then we cut to Charlie in the vents when he hears something beneath him._

Whisperer- So they're still shoring up their defenses? I would've thought they would give up by now.

_Charlie looks down to see the Whisperer walking and talking with Karasu._

Karasu- My Nightfeathers are prepared to attack at any time, Whisperer. Just give the word.

Whisperer- Trust me, Karasu. I have a plan. Our troops are trained and we're ready to end this once and for all. Come.

_Charlie's eyes widen and he follows them from the vents, eventually dropping down to follow them through the hallway. The Whisperer suddenly stops and turns around, but sees nothing. We see Charlie on the ceiling, climbing to follow the Whisperer and Karasu. Some students see him._

Student 1- Hey, there's someone on the ceiling.

Student 2- Eh, whatever.

_The Whisperer and Karasu turn a corner and enter a room guarded by several Woodsworth soldiers. Charlie looks around to see the hallway bustling with people._

Charlie- There's a fire!

_Nobody moves._

Charlie- There's a sale at the mall!

_Everyone quickly runs out except for the guard. Charlie walks in and shuts all the doors._

Charlie- Don't care about the sale?

_The guards ready their weapons, and Charlie trips one up, kicking him in the face. He slams another against the floor, knocking them both out._

Charlie- Now… let's get to work.

_We cut to some guards trying bust through the locked doors._

Guard- Open up now!

_Charlie opens the door, now dressed in the guard's clothing, as well as sunglasses.. He gestures to the guard who is now dressed like Charlie._

Charlie- Everything's been taken care of, guys. The escaped prisoner tried to bust in, but I was able to handle him. Can someone move him and my partner out of here?

_The guard is suspicious for a second, but shrugs and points. Other guards drag away Charlie's two victims._

Guard- You sure you can handle guarding this room by yourself?

Charlie- I think I'll be fine.

_He goes to the door and opens it to see the Whisperer, Karasu, Edward, Quentin, and Lydia around a table._

Whisperer- Now, where is Ben?

_He looks up to see Charlie. Charlie ducks his head down._

Charlie- Guard rotation.

_The Whisperer impatiently waves a hand and Charlie swaps with the guard in the room. The Whisperer returns to talking to everyone else._

Whisperer- Now, we've started to make preparations, and I know some of you are growing impatient. But now I can finally reveal to you my scheme. So… here's the plan…

_Charlie listens intently, and we cut to the Forrester gang sitting around a table. James receives a text message, and holds up his phone excitedly._

James- Guys! We've got news!

Hannah- What?

Lauren- Charlie found something out?

James- Looks like it! Sounds like it took some serious legwork, though.

AJ- What is it?

James- Well… he can't tell us over the phone.

AJ- What? Why not?

Will- Any number of things could happen to make this information unreliable. He could have his phone stolen, or be under duress. We have to get this information from him personally in the forest.

Charlotte- Let's be on our way, then.

James- Not so fast, Charlotte. We need some people to stay here and hold down Forrester.

Charlotte- Some people _besides me_ , right.

_James and Will chuckle nervously, and James nods at Lauren. We cut to some soldiers holding Charlotte back as she struggles._

Charlotte- Lemme go, lemme go! Let me come with you.

Will- Sorry, Charlotte, but we need you here right now!

_He walks up to Hannah._

Will- Hannah, can you stay too and help shore up Forrester's defenses?

_Hannah nods._

Hannah- Get that information for us, and leave the rest to Charlotte and I?

_Will smiles and beckons to James, Lauren, and AJ as they exit. Hannah turns to Charlotte._

Hannah- You feeling better?

Charlotte- Just needed to vent a little.

Hannah- Let's get to work, then. What do we need to strengthen our defense?

Charlotte- Well, I can't think of anything we don't have… unless you know a store somewhere that sells poison and weapons.

_Charlotte laughs, but Hannah thinks._

Hannah- Great idea, Charlotte!

Charlotte- Um… what?

_We cut to Charlotte standing outside B n' C's thrift shop, holding her phone to her ear._

Charlotte- You're kidding, right?

Hannah (phone)- Just trust me on this, Charlotte. They have everything we need.

Charlotte- If you say so…

_She hangs up and walks in. Becky is sitting behind the counter mixing poison. A knife flies by Charlotte's face as she enters, and we see Christopher throwing knifes at a target from across the store._

Charlotte- Watch where you're throwing those, you miscreant!

_Becky looks back and narrows her eyes when she sees Charlotte._

Becky- _Charlotte._ So _good_ to see you.

_Charlotte grits her teeth._

Charlotte- Oh, it's an absolute _pleasure_ , Becky. I see you've got quite the business booming here. Look, this place is just _crawling_ with customers.

_She gestures to the empty store._

Becky- Get to the point, _Char_. I assume you're here to fund your little war effort.

Christopher- Thanks for that, by the way. Our store's been thriving since you guys started fighting.

Charlotte- Yeah, sure looks like it.

Becky- We're just having a bit of a slow day today, Charlotte. Anyway… refreshing beverage?

_She hands Charlotte a cup. Charlotte narrows her eyes and pours the liquid onto the desk, which immediately starts to dissolve._

Becky- Oh… I must have mixed up the lemonade with acid… whoopsie!

_Charlotte starts looking through the aisles._

Charlotte- Acid, laxatives, pesticides… is this a skincare section?

_Becky waves her hand dismissively._

Becky- It's my aunt's. She said we had to include her 'alternative healthcare' products in order to make her be our adult supervisor.

Charlotte- So where is she?

Christopher- Probably throwing away someone.

Charlotte- Don't you mean something?

Christopher- Sure.

Becky- You know, Charlotte, from what I've heard from customers, Forrester's not doing too hot right now. That Whisperer may have creeped me out, but I guess he has his act together.

Charlotte- I don't consider you an accurate judge of anything, Becky. You ruled Forrester for, like, a week, and now you run a thrift shop with that lunk over there.

Christopher- Is that a compliment?

Charlotte- Sure.

Becky- Regardless, it was a shame to hear about my old friend Angela… but I suppose that's what she gets for betraying me.

_Charlotte growls as she fills up her basket and walks up to Christopher._

Charlotte- Do you have any non-lethal weapons in this store?

_Christopher laughs._

Christopher- What? Can't handle a real fight, you-

_Charlotte grabs a katana off of the wall and knocks Christopher's knife from his hand, swiftly cutting some letters into his shirt without harming him._

Christopher- Um… what is that?

Charlotte- It's the alphabet. I figured you could use a reminder.

Christopher- Let me show you to our non-lethal section.

_We cut to Charlotte finalizing the payments with Becky._

Charlotte- And you'll have it shipped to the school?

Becky- Of course. Would you like to pay for an extra bonus?

Charlotte- What's the bonus?

Becky- Christopher does a cute little dance when he delivers the goods.

_Charlotte slams her entire wallet on the table and starts to leave._

Christopher- Ooh, another customer!

_Charlotte sees Ben open the door and walk inside. They both freeze and stare at each other._

Charlotte- _You_?

_We cut to James, Will, Lauren, and AJ getting out of a car._

James- All right, everyone, this is Woodsworth territory. We go on foot from here to meet Charlie.

Lauren- This place will be crawling with Woodsworth soldiers, so watch out.

AJ- Ooh! Time to go stealth mode!

_We cut to Lauren, James and Will quietly walking as AJ dramatically rolls around, ducking behind trees and humming his own theme music._

Lauren- Would you cut that out, AJ!

Will- I think it adds to the atmosphere a little bit.

_Lauren holds up a hand, and everyone freezes. She gestures forward, and we see a Woodsworth patrol. Lauren makes a series of complicated hand gestures, and everyone hides. James and Will climb trees, Lauren digs a large hole in the ground and jumps in, and AJ dives into a bush._

Soldier 1- Have they found that escaped prisoner yet?

Soldier 2- No, but they think he might have managed to leave school grounds.

Soldier 3- How are we gonna find him now? He could be all the way at Forrester by now.

Soldier 4- Well, I think-

_Suddenly, Lauren bursts from underground, taking out one guard. AJ leaps from the bush and takes down another, and James and Will fall from their trees on the last two._

Lauren- Okay, how far are we from the meeting spot? We should-

James- Wait.

_He and Will look down at the unconscious soldiers._

Will- You don't think…

_Lauren scoffs._

Lauren- Really? It won't be that easy.

_We cut to them walking around the various Woodsworth camps dressed in the soldiers' clothing._

Lauren- It was that easy.

AJ- So where do we need to meet Charlie?

_James points to a nearby gathering of Woodsworth soldiers._

AJ- Um… we're supposed to meet him in the middle of all those enemies?

James- Oh, we need to clear this whole area of enemies before he can enter. Did…did I neglect to mention that?

_Lauren glares at him._

Lauren- So I put on this stupid uniform for nothing?! We could have just stormed in here and taken them all out.

Will- Now, now, now. Now that we're inside, let's formulate a plan.

_Lauren rolls her eyes, and we cut to Ben and Charlotte facing down._

Ben- Ah, so you shop here too?

Charlotte- Why, I'm going to-

Becky- No fighting in our store, please, Charlotte! I support violence whenever necessary or unnecessary, but wait outside, please!

_Charlotte rolls her eyes, pushing past Ben as she heads outside. We see a time-lapse as she waits, watching Ben slowly pick out goods and smile at Charlotte's scowling face. Charlotte finally sees him finishing up and paying, and gets out of eye's view from inside the store. She draws her blade and waits for him to come outside. When he doesn't emerge, she looks inside, and he's gone. She hears laughing, and looks up to see Ben jumping down from the roof._

Charlotte- Oh, no you don't!

_She runs after him._

Ben- Sorry, honey, but the Whisperer wants me unharmed. I guess I'm just that important, huh?

_Charlotte pulls out a paintball pistol and fires at his leg. He winces, allowing her to catch up. They engage in a short swordfight, eventually knocking each other back._

Ben- Um… bye!

_He starts to run away, and Charlotte runs after him. Ben looks ahead and smiles, then clambers up to the second level. Charlotte is about to follow, but a bunch of kids riding bikes burst through, forcing her to dodge them._

Charlotte- Ugh! Let me through!

_She knocks a child off their bike and climbs on, jumping and using ramps to maneuver onto the second level as well. They reach some stairs, and Charlotte grinds the rail. She is about to catch up to Ben when she sees where she is heading. Woodsworth's yacht is parked off the dock, and Ben yells at the soldiers onboard._

Ben- Fire at her!

_They aim one of the ship's massive cannons and discharge it, sending a massive paintball cannonball at Charlotte. Her eyes widen, and she swerves the bike into a nearby cabbage stand._

Vendor- My cabbages!

_Charlotte groans and rubs her head, looking up to see Ben laughing as the yacht sails away._

Ben- Buh-bye, darling. Thanks for playing!

_He laughs, and Charlotte grits her teeth._

Charlotte- I don't think so…

_She looks up at a store, and smiles. We cut to soldiers on the yacht hanging out. One of them sees something in the air._

Soldier- Um… what's that?

_He peers up and sees a speck in the air. The other soldiers shrug, until they start to hear something as well._

Soldier- Do you guys hear that?

_Finally, the speck emerges as Charlotte with a hang-glider as she shouts. She lands on one guard and swiftly takes out two more. She takes off the hang-glider, using it to block some paintballs, and shoots down three more guards. Ben emerges from below-deck._

Ben- What?

_Charlotte swiftly charges towards him and disarms him. She grabs him and holds her blade to his throat, gesturing at the crew._

Charlotte- Jump overboard now, or he gets it!

_A soldier starts to run, but Ben holds up a hand._

Ben- No! My health is far too important! Do as she says

Soldier- The Whisperer won't be happy about this.

Ben- Just do it!

_Sighing, the crew jump overboard. Charlotte throws Ben in after them, and heads to the wheel of the yacht. Powering up the engine, she starts to sail away._

Charlotte- See you around! And thanks for the yacht!

Ben- I…

_A pause._

Ben- The Whisperer will not be happy about this.

_We cut to James, Will, and AJ approaching various Woodsworth soldiers._

James- Um, they want to see you in the main tent.

_He points towards a large tent. Will and AJ are telling others the same thing. Various students are walking into the tent, and we see one enter. Lauren is sitting there, surrounded by the unconscious bodies of Woodsworth soldiers._

Lauren- Hello there.

_We cut to later, where there is one Woodsworth soldier standing obliviously around the camp. Will walks up to him._

Will- Um… they want to see you in the main tent.

Soldier- Wait… where is everyone?

Will- Bathroom break.

Soldier- All of them?

Will- Just go to the main tent.

_The soldier shrugs, and head to the main tent, his unconscious body slipping out after a short while. Lauren strolls out, stepping on his face._

Lauren- Well, that takes care of that.

_James types on his phone._

James- Okay, I'll text Charlie that everything's safe.

AJ- Guys! It looks like we missed some!

_They all turn to see some Woodsworth soldiers approaching._

Soldier- Hey! What happened here.

_Suddenly, they all fall over themselves, revealing Charlie behind them._

Will- Charlie!

_They run over to him._

AJ- Are you alright? You've been imprisoned for weeks!

Charlie- I'm fine, I'm fine. Listen up, we don't have much time.

James- Yes, yes, yes. What have you discovered?

Charlie- The Whisperer's going to make his move. He's planning to march his entire army through this forest tomorrow. He'll march directly on Forrester and besiege it.

Will- What? Tomorrow?

James- We all knew this was coming. We just need to get the army here. Come on, Charlie, let's get back to Forrester.

_Charlie shakes his head._

Charlie- You'll need someone behind enemy lines. Trust me, I can handle myself.

_James and Will look at each other, but they eventually nod._

James- Alright then.

Lauren- Good luck, Notch.

Will- Let's go, guys.

_They head off, and Charlie's smile falls a bit. We cut to Hannah walking out onto the balcony, talking on the phone with James._

Hannah- Alright. I'll send the brunt of the army into the forest, but I'll keep a small reserve force to defend Forrester. Yes, sir… yes, sir. Thank you. Hold on…

_She peers over the balcony to see Charlotte sailing the yacht to Forrester, smiling and waving to Hannah._

Hannah- I'll send the yacht over at well… Charlotte just brought it back…. I don't know, I'll ask her about it. Yes, we'll both stay at Forrester. Good luck, James.

_We cut to Charlie standing in the forest. He turns around to see the Whisperer, Edward, and Quentin._

Whisperer- You told them?

_Charlie nods, and the Whisperer smiles._

Whisperer- Perfect. I was a little worried after that escape attempt you pulled a few weeks ago, but it seems our little loyalty training sessions paid off.

Quentin- With all due respect, are you sure you can trust him, boss?

Whisperer- Ah, don't worry… he knows what would happen if he disobeyed.

_The Whisperer giggles._

Whisperer- Come along now, Charlie. You've done your part… now it's time to strike.

_Charlie bows his head and follows the Whisperer back towards Woodsworth._

_End episode._


	37. Rule the School S2E17

**Episode Seventeen: The Foremost Forest of Forrester**

Synopsis: Forrester prepares to intercept the Whisperer's attack.

_We open on James, Will, and AJ standing at the front of the Forrester army. The yacht is docked at the outskirts of the forest, and James' eyes are darting around._

James- They should be here any minute.

_Lauren arrives next to them._

Lauren- James… our scouts have found no sign of Woodsworth troops.

James- None? But…

Will- He has to come. Charlie told us his plan was to march through the forest.

AJ- We just need to wait…

_We zoom out from the Forrester army and quickly pan over the lake to Woodsworth, where we see their yacht zooming across the lake. The Whisperer, Edward, Lydia, Ben, Quentin, and Karasu stand at the front of the yacht._

Lydia- The troops are feeling a bit cramped, sir.

Whisperer- Ah, yes. If only _someone_ hadn't lost our second yacht.

_Ben sheepishly giggles._

Ben- Guilty.

Quentin- Prepare yourselves, everyone. We've almost reached the shore.

_We cut to Hannah watching the yacht approach from the Forrester balcony. She rushes back inside._

Hannah- Charlotte, we have a situation!

_We cut to Charlotte and Hannah emerging from Forrester with a handful of troops, facing the lake._

Hannah- We don't have many troops with us.

Charlotte- It's alright. How many troops could they have brough across on that yacht? I don't know what they're thinking.

_The yacht docks, and the Whisperer gets off. Charlotte immediately pulls out a pistol and fires, but Edward jumps down in front of the shot._

Charlotte- What do you think you're doing here!?

_The Whisperer rolls his eyes._

Whisperer- Is that even really a question?

Hannah- Turn back now!

_The Whisperer smiles and whistles, and the door opens to the hold. Woodsworth troops start rushing out, and Charlotte points forwards._

Charlotte- Fire!

_The Forrester troops open fire on the Woodsworth troops, taking many down. More keep on coming, however, and Charlotte's expression shifts._

Charlotte- How many of them are there?

_Nightfeathers appear from smoke and start charging towards the Forrester troops, taking some down._

Hannah- I think… I think it's all of them.

Charlotte- What about the intel from Charlie?

Hannah- I don't know! I don't know!

_Charlotte examines the battlefield, shocked. She gestures to the Forrester troops._

Charlotte- Retreat! Get inside the school!

_The Forrester troops quickly back up. As Charlotte rushes inside the school, she pulls out her phone, entering multiple passwords and pressing something. An alarm blares throughout the school, and when the Woodsworth troops reach the door, they can't open it._

Karasu- It's locked!

Whisperer- Go around to the courtyard, everyone!

_The Woodsworth troops start going around to the other side of Forrester as Charlotte and Hannah rush to manage things._

Charlotte- Hannah, they're going around! Engage the new security measures and make sure they don't get in!

_Hannah nods and starts running, also typing on her phones. We see the opening to the courtyard start to shift as walls encroach, blocking out some Woodsworth troops. Some still get in, however, and Hannah runs into some soldiers._

Hannah- Guards! Help me handle them!

_The soldiers nod and run out into the courtyard, trying to take care of the Woodsworth troops that managed to get in. Mr. Garcia fires wildly and Hannah knocks down one soldier with his shield. We see Charlotte running on the upper level of Forrester. She stops as she sees something out the window. Ben is manning a catapult as the Whisperer grins._

Whisperer- Fire!

_A massive paintball projectile is launched, flying over Forrester's walls. Hannah and some soldiers look up in alarm, scattering as it lands and covers a large area of the courtyard in paint._

Hannah- Everyone, get inside!

_The students start rushing inside, but Hannah grabs a soldier as he is leaving._

Hannah- Hey… bring me the big gun.

_He nods and rushes inside. Hannah stays in the courtyard, ducking behind cover to avoid the massive projectiles being lobbed. We see Charlotte observing in horror. The Whisperer grins and points to his side. Charlotte looks over to see Karasu and some Nightfeathers starting to scale the walls of the schools. Her eyes widen and she rushes over, gesturing at some Forrester soldiers._

Charlotte- Fetch the poison!

_Soldiers bring over some buckets of poison, opening the windows and pouring it down upon the Nightfeathers. Karasu scowls and gestures for the Nightfeathers to retreat. Charlotte leans out and fires with her pistol at them, missing. Then she shuts the window and turns to the soldiers._

Charlotte- Get the students in order. We need to compose ourselves.

_The soldier nods, and we cut to Hannah still avoiding the catapult in the courtyard. The soldier comes out holding a massive gun._

Soldier- Hannah!

_He tosses the gun to her. She rolls out and catches it, aiming it in the air._

Hannah- Eat this!

_Yelling, she fires several times, sending several projectiles over the wall of Forrester. We see Ben manning the catapult, and several projectiles fall on him, leaving him dazed. He tries to get back on the catapult, but the Whisperer holds up a hand._

Whisperer- That's enough.

_He turns to his troops._

Whisperer- It looks like this will be a good old-fashioned siege. Set up camp, everyone.

_The Woodsworth troops start setting up outside of Forrester, and we see Charlotte looking down, troubled. Hannah runs up to her side._

Hannah- Charlotte… what is this?

Charlotte- Email the students' parents, Hannah. It looks like we're going to be at school for a while.

_Hannah nods and walks off. Charlotte pulls out her phone and dials a number._

Charlotte- James… we have a situation here.

_We cut to James hanging up the phone, completely shocked. Lauren, Will, and AJ look at him._

Will- What is it, James?

_James turns to a soldier in the army._

James- Make sure the army watches for an attack from behind.

_The soldier nods, slightly confused. James gestures to Lauren, Will, and AJ._

James- Get to the yacht, everyone.

AJ- James, what are you doing?

Lauren- What happened? Where's Woodsworth?

James- Just come with me.

_Worried, they all follow James to the yacht, where he takes up the wheel and drives it out so they can all see Forrester._

James- Look… look at what he's done.

_They look over to see the siege that Woodsworth has set up around Forrester._

Will- But… how?

AJ- Charlie… Charlie lied to us.

Lauren- But he… he wouldn't do that!

James- Evidently, that's not the case, Lauren.

Will- He must have been conditioned or tortured or something.

_James nods._

AJ- What are we going to do?

James- I…I don't know. But we're not going to give up hope! This is just one setback out of the many, many, _many_ setbacks we've had this season.

_They stand in silence for a second, examining the siege._

Will- I can't imagine what Hannah and Charlotte are doing right now cooped up in there.

James- They can hold their own.

AJ- We'll rescue them.

Lauren- Yacht.

James- Yes, yes, Lauren. At least we still have the yacht.

Lauren- No… yacht!

Will- What?

_Will, AJ, and James look over to see the other yacht sailing towards them. Onboard are Quentin, Lydia, and Ben._

Quentin- The boss thought you might be stupid enough to sail out here! Fire!

_Lydia fires the yacht's cannons towards them, and the Forrester gang ducks down. James goes for the wheel, but Lauren pushes him out of the way._

Lauren- I've got this.

_She swerves the yacht around._

Lauren- Get to the cannons!

_James, Will, and AJ rush over and start engaging in a naval battle with the other yacht. The two ships circle around each other, and when they pass each other, Ben jumps onto their yacht._

Ben- Time to make up for losing this yacht!

_While steering with one hand, Lauren pulls out her pistol and starts shooting at Ben._

Lauren- AJ, take care of it!

_We see Lauren steering as battle noises echo from behind her. She briefly looks back to see AJ thoroughly knocked out and Ben running towards her._

AJ- I tried!

_Lauren rolls her eyes, and backhands Ben as he approaches, knocking him to the ground. As they pass the Woodsworth yacht again, she grabs him and tosses him over to them._

Lauren- Take your trash back!

James- Lauren, we could have kept him as a prisoner!

Lauren- Sometimes, it's about sending a message.

_Suddenly, the Woodsworth yacht is hit by projectiles from the mainland. We zoom in to see Charlotte manning a cannon on the walls of Forrester. Quentin scowls and gestures at Lydia to stop firing._

Quentin- Whatever, Forrestites. We've already won, anyway!

_The yacht turns around and sails back to Forrester. James comes back to the wheel, pushing Lauren aside._

Lauren- Oh yeah, no need to thank me or anything.

Will- Let's get back to the army quickly.

AJ- Why, what's going on?

_James points and we see a small force of Nightfeathers heading for the forest._

Lauren- Nightfeathers…

James- Let's go.

_He turns the yacht around and heads back to the forest. We cut to Charlotte behind the cannon, watching the yacht sail away. She sighs in relief, then looks at her phone. She has a text from W saying 'Let's chat.' She grits her teeth and stands up, walking away. We cut to the Whisperer, Edward, and a clearly exhausted and depressed Charlie standing outside the walls of the school. Inside on the second floor, Charlotte and Hannah look down on them, a phone on speaker placed in front of them. The Whisperer's is also holding his phone on speaker._

Whisperer- Hello, hello! Looks like they left the B-team in charge of Forrester.

_He snickers at his own joke. Charlotte and Hannah give exasperated looks to each other._

Charlotte- Are you here to negotiate or not?

_The Whisperer's grin fades and he rolls his eyes._

Whisperer- Fine, I guess having fun is off the table. My terms are simple… hand over the school, and you won't end up like this one.

_He points to Charlie, and Charlotte and Hannah inhale sharply._

Hannah- What have you done to him?

_The Whisperer winks._

Whisperer- Enough, clearly. I mean, he was able to fool your friends in the forest.

_He leans forward, looking up at the girls._

Whisperer- Look, the _real_ leaders are gone. It's just me and you girls. So let's not drag this out… give me Forrester, and you could have a place in my regime.

Hannah- Hah! You can't even get inside this school.

Whisperer- It's only a matter of time.

_He notices Edward trying to punch the walls of the school, and actually making a dent._

Whisperer- Stop that, Edward. We don't want to damage the newest part of my empire.

_Reluctantly, Edward stops, and the Whisperer turns back to the girls._

Whisperer- But anyway, expect your food deliveries to be our leftovers from now on. Our army needs food much more than yours, I'm sure. And once the yacht comes back, we'll start ferrying prisoners from Woodsworth. I'm sure your students will _love_ to see their friends paraded around and humiliated. Give up now… or this siege will ruin you.

_Charlotte and Hannah's eyes narrow._

Charlotte- You actually think that we'd betray our school?

Whisperer- Well, Hannah already betrayed hers.

Hannah- That's totally different!

_The Whisperer chuckles, but Charlotte presses on._

Charlotte- We will stand under your siege because we believe in our leaders. You can do whatever you want, but our spirits will not break. You may command your underlings, but you're all that Woodsworth has. But just because James and Will are gone, that doesn't mean that Forrester is going to surrender. Every student here will _always_ resist you.

_The Whisperer sneers._

Whisperer- Why, because of their overwhelming patriotism?

Charlotte- No… because of our intense propaganda campaign to condition the weak-minded students inside these walls against you.

_The Whisperer smiles._

Whisperer- Resistance is expected, Charlotte. Once we get inside those walls, your students will simply be another unhappy minority to subjugate.

Hannah- In that case, I think our conversation is over.

Whisperer- Ah, parting is such sweet sorrow. The next time I see you, you'll be prisoners.

_He goes to hang up the phone, but pauses when a voice rings out._

Hannah- And one more thing! Charlie, I don't know what he did to you… but we'll make him pay tenfold.

_The Whisperer angrily hangs up the phone and turns to Charlie, who has his head bowed._

Whisperer- Charlie, go fluff the pillows in my tent.

_Charlie nods and walks away. Still angry, the Whisperer turns to some nearby soldiers._

Whisperer- Let's make sure they can't see us coming, boys!

Soldier- And girls!

Whisperer- Yes, yes, my evil militia is equal opportunity. It just doesn't roll off the tongue, okay! Now do as I said!

_The soldiers nod, and we cut to Charlotte and Hannah walking away from the window. They hear a splat from outside, and turn around to see a paint splatter on their window. Suddenly, paintballs rain on every window all around Forrester, coating them in thick paint. Hannah clenches her fist._

Hannah- That snake!

_She turns to Charlotte._

Hannah- What's the plan? What can we do?

Charlotte- We… we stay strong. And we hope that the others can do something.

_We cut to James. Will, AJ, and Lauren docking the yacht. They immediately rush off, all drawing their weapons. They stumble across a group of soldiers._

James- Watch out for a Woodsworth attack! The Nightfeathers are coming through!

_Karasu walks out from among them._

Karasu- Don't worry! We're all on high alert.

Will- What!?

_The soldiers all fall down at once, unconscious. Karasu giggles and draws their blade. They quickly disarms James, kicking him to the ground._

Will- James!

_He thrusts his trident at them, but they jumps back and whistles, summoning more Nightfeathers. We see Forrester soldiers running in a panic all over the forest. Lauren grabs one._

Lauren- Where do you think you're going? Get your buddies in line and help us fight!

_The soldiers organize themselves and face down the Nightfeathers._

James- How could you betray us, Karasu? We won fair and square.

Karasu- If it makes you feel any better, I would have done the same thing no matter who won.

James- That in no way makes us feel better.

Karasu- Comfort was never really my top priority.

_Fighting breaks out, with Will and AJ taking on Karasu and James and Lauren taking the soldiers. They converse between blows._

Will- What have you done with Charlie?

Karasu- What do you care about the boy? He betrayed you.

AJ- He must have been coerced or forced!

_Karasu smirks and shrugs, knocking AJ aside. AJ gets up and scrambles away._

Will- Oh, thanks a lot, AJ!

_Will is unable to hold his own against Karasu, but James rushes in, savagely attacking Karasu._

James- Just… get… out of here!

_Karasu disappears in a cloud of smoke and reappears just in time to be hit by a massive paintball cannon. Will looks over to see AJ manning a cannon on the yacht._

AJ- I've got your back, buddy!

_Karasu rolls their eyes and gestures for their Nightfeathers to retreat._

Karasu- Well, I suppose I'll just have to let you watch us take Forrester from afar. See you around!

_The Nightfeathers disappear. Some soldiers start to chase after them, but Lauren holds them back._

Lauren- Don't bother. They'll just run back to their main force and lure us into a battle we can't win.

Will- Set up camp for the night, everyone.

_He looks over to James, who is visibly distressed._

Will- James… are you okay?

James- I just… I just want this _stupid_ war to end already! Isn’t there one thing we could do that would finish this once and for all?

_Will softens, patting James' shoulder._

Will- Hey… we'll make a plan in the morning. We'll start on the right path, the path to victory.

_James slowly nods and they head back to their tent. We cut to the night, where James is wide awake as Will snores on the other side of the tent. AJ is curled up beneath both of them like a dog._

James (internal monologue)- I'm done with complex plans and twisting paths. They've gotten us nowhere. I just want this to be over! Is that too much to ask!?

_He quietly gets up and walks into another tent, waking up a soldier._

Soldier- What? What's going on?

James- Shush. General… have the troops ready tomorrow morning. Don’t consult anyone other than me about this… understand?

Soldier- But… if we strike now-

James- No questions. I'm your leader, so you'll get it done.

_The general gulps and nods. James walks outside, dialing a number. We cut to Charlotte in Forrester typing on a computer surrounded by empty coffee cups. She picks up her phone._

James- Charlotte… I knew you'd still be up.

Charlotte- Yep… just doing important business stuff.

_She looks to her screen where discount Candy Crush is pulled up._

Charlotte- Anyway… what is it?

James- Prepare the troops inside Forrester for an all-out attack tomorrow morning.

Charlotte- Excuse me? Sir, those odds are-

James- Charlotte, your loyalty is to me. Do this for me, and not a word of it to Will, Lauren, or AJ.

Charlotte- Will is just as much a leader of Forrester as you, James.

James- We are ending this war in one swoop. You were always loyal to me, Charlotte, even before Will came into the picture. If I can't convince you as a leader… then as a friend?

_Charlotte is silent for a moment._

Charlotte- I hope you know what you're doing, James.

_She hangs up the phone. James breathes deeply, his troubled look in no way alleviated. We pan up to see Forrester, the siege surrounding it, the lake with the yachts, and the Forrester army camp in the forest. A clock ticks._

_End episode._


	38. Rule the School S2E18

**Episode Eighteen: Super Stealth Squad**

Synopsis: James tries to end the war once and for all.

_We open early in the morning. Charlotte and Hannah are preparing for battle as they walk through the hallways of Forrester._

Hannah- Charlotte, are you sure about this?

_A pause._

Charlotte- No… but we have to trust James on this.

_Hannah reluctantly nods, and they arrive in the courtyard, where the army has assembled._

Hannah- Is everyone prepared?

_A soldier steps forward._

Soldier- All soldiers are armed and ready. But, if I may ask… what are we doing?

_Hannah sighs._

Hannah- I wish I knew. Regardless, we all have a duty to our leader to fight as hard as we can today.

_The soldier nods, and Charlotte and Hannah turn around to the windows that are splattered with paint._

Charlotte- I hope you're planning something big, James.

_We cut to James standing in the forest as the sun rises. A soldier walks up to him._

Soldier- Sir… the preparations are complete.

James- Good… you attack in ten minutes.

_The soldier nods and walks away. James looks at his tent, where the others are still sleeping._

James- This is only way… the only way to end this once and for all.

_We cut to AJ waking up. He hears the running outside and springs up, pulling Will awake too._

Will- What? What is it?

AJ- There's something going on outside! It must be an attack or something!

_Will and AJ quickly grab their weapons and rush outside. Lauren comes from her tent too. They all turn to see James looking at them._

Lauren- What's going on, James!?

James- Don't worry. Everything is under control.

_Will's eyes widen._

Will- What did you do?

_They suddenly notice that the camp is abandoned as the last of the soldiers leave._

Lauren- Where are all the soldiers going?

_James speaks, but even he doesn't sound sure of his own words._

James- Just trust me. I'm ending this war today.

_James looks at his phone._

James- The attack should be starting right now.

_Will, Lauren, and AJ are all shocked, and quickly follow the soldiers. James walks after them. We cut to the Whisperer, Edward, Karasu, Quentin, Lydia and Ben sitting in front of the school with a small group of soldiers._

Karasu- Go fish.

_Edward growls and picks up a card._

Whisperer- Got any sevens?

Quentin- Go fish.

Whisperer- Fine! I purchase a top-notch fishing boat with my vast inheritance from my dead mother and overfish the entire area, leaving you all out of business and putting you into bankruptcy. I win!

_Everyone else rolls their eyes and starts to pack up the cards, but suddenly the door to the school opens. They scramble to their feet._

Lydia- What are they doing?

Ben- Are they really just opening the doors for us?

_The Whisperer holds up a hand, and they shut up. Charlotte and Hannah come forward, decked out for battle. The Whisperer narrows his eyes, and the rest of the miniscule Forrester army still at the school appears behind them._

Whisperer- What do you think you're doing?

Charlotte- We’re ending this.

_The Whisperer turns as he hear yells behind him. The rest of the Forrester army comes from the forest, both forces charging to trap the Whisperer's small force in a pincer attack._

Quentin- A pincer attack?

Karasu- Prepare yourselves, everyone!

_We see Will, Lauren, and AJ running out from the forest just in time to see the pincer attack in motion._

AJ- He ordered an attack?!

Lauren- Will, did you know about this?

_Will shakes his head incredulously._

Will- He… he went behind my back.

_We see Charlotte and Hannah taking on Karasu together._

Karasu- What do you hope to accomplish with this, little birds?

Charlotte- We're ending this war today!

_Hannah slams Karasu back, and they look towards the Whisperer, who is clambering on top of Edward's shoulders._

Whisperer- Get me out of here, Edward!

_Charlotte and Hannah knock Karasu aside._

Charlotte- Oh, no you don't!

_She whistles, and a massive cannon on top of Forrester swivels, firing a huge paintball projectile at Edward and knocking him to the floor._

Charlotte- Yes!

_The Forrester soldiers start closing in around the small group of Woodsworth soldiers. We cut to Will, Lauren, and AJ watching._

AJ- They… they're closing in.

Lauren- No.

AJ- What? That's good, right?

Will- Where's the rest of Woodsworth?

_We see James emerging from the forest slightly away from them. He observes the battle, but he is looking troubled._

James- Come on, come on, come on…

_Charlotte and Hannah are fighting, and the Whisperer seemingly appears troubled in the middle. Suddenly, a smile curls across his face, and he shouts out._

Whisperer- Boys!

_The rest of the Woodsworth army comes around from the other sides of the school, crashing into the Forrester army._

Soldier- And girls!

Whisperer- I got it, okay? Now do your thing!

_The Forrester army is sandwiched. Lauren, Will, and AJ are horrified._

AJ- No!

_Lauren grabs a pistol and starts to run towards the battlefield. Will grabs her and pulls her back._

Will- Lauren, wait! It's too late!

_Lauren observes the battle, and reluctantly stands down. We see Charlotte and Hannah struggling against the Woodsworth onslaught, but it's too much._

Hannah- Charlotte… we need to retreat!

_They turn towards the entrance to the school, but it has already been blocked by Woodsworth troops._

Hannah- What… what do we do?

_Charlotte looks towards the hill that James is standing on. He doesn't notice her as he looks in horror at the unfolding battle. Charlotte's expression tightens._

Charlotte- We fight.

_They keep fighting, taking out more and more enemies, but there are just too many of them, and they are eventually overwhelmed. The Whisperer climbs above the battlefield, standing on Edward's head._

Whisperer- Take the school! Get inside!

_The Woodsworth armies rush inside, decimating everything in their path. Will, AJ, and Lauren are incredulous. They finally look over and notice James looking at them, his eyes wide. Finally, he speaks._

James- Guys… we need to run before they notice we're here.

_They run deep into the forest, finally hiding out somewhere. James starts to speak._

James- You guys, I can-

Will- What do you think you were doing!?

James- I just wanted to-

Lauren- Wanted to what? Get everyone captured and hand Forrester over to the Whisperer?!

AJ- You let Charlotte and Hannah get imprisoned! Who knows what's gonna happen to them!?

James- Guys, I'm sorry, I just-

_AJ steps forward and shoves James back. James and AJ are both shocked, but James' expression hardens._

James- _What…_ was that?

_AJ commits and starts shouting._

AJ- We said we were gonna figure this out together! We were gonna make a plan!

_He pulls out his sword and James is shocked, but whips out his spear. They clash, both very incompetent at combat._

AJ- What, you just don't trust any of us!?

_He slams James into a tree. James shakes it off and tackles AJ to the ground._

James- I'm just trying to end this war! In case you haven't noticed, none of the plans we've made together have worked at all!

AJ- Oh, yeah, cause _your_ plan worked out great!

_Lauren pulls James off of AJ, and Will holds AJ back._

Will- That's enough from both of you!

_James breaks free from Lauren. He looks around at everyone's disappointed faces and collapses on the floor._

James- I…I'm sorry. I just…wanted to fix everything.

_Will lets AJ go, and he looks at James angrily, but it turns to pity. James' eyes well up and Will comes to pull him up._

Will- I… I just thought we were in this together.

_The boys sit, depressed. Lauren groans._

Lauren- Ugh! Look, guys, we've all made mistakes. Will, you used to hate all of our guts! AJ, you sold James' passwords to Will way back when. And James, you went behind all of our backs and ordered an failed attack.

_The boys look at Lauren expectedly, and she snorts._

Lauren- What? I've always done my job just fine! We're talking about you guys here!

_This results in some small laughter, and James smiles._

James- Guys… I'm really, _really_ sorry. I just… it's weird having so many people that want to help me. I guess I'm still getting used to it.

_Will cracks a smile at that, but James' face falls once again._

James- It's too late, though. We're through.

Will- Hey, it's never too late as long as we're all still around.

AJ- James… we can still make a plan… together.

Lauren- Let's think it through step by step. What do we need to take back Forrester?

_They all think for a second, and then James speaks up._

James- It's never too late as long as we're all still around…

Will- What?

James- We're _not_ all still around. If we want to make a real plan, we need Charlotte and Hannah back.

AJ- What about Charlie?

James- The Whisperer has him… and he might do whatever he did to Charlie to Charlotte and Hannah if we don't hurry.

Will- That's step one… we'll figure it out from there.

_They all look at each other and nod._

James, Will, Charlotte, and AJ- Let's do it!

_We cut to them observing the bustling Woodsworth camp around Forrester._

Will- The Whisperer will be there for a couple of days at least. He'll need to get everything in order before he goes back to Woodsworth.

James- I don't even know why he would want to go back to that hovel! Forrester is so much nicer.

Lauren- Focus- where would they be keeping Charlotte and Hannah?

Will- Probably our most secure cells- that's where we kept Hannah when she was a prisoner.

_AJ lights up._

AJ- I once got in there through the vents! Maybe we could try that?

James- No, no… we're thinking the wrong way. We're thinking about what _we_ would do. We need to think about what the Whisperer would do. He would want them somewhere where everyone can see them… and where _he_ can see them…

_We cut to Charlotte and Hannah duct taped to the outside of Forrester. They are protected from the sun by a tarp, and they are standing on a wooden platform. Their arms are free, though, and there are guards around them. Hannah picks at the tape while Charlotte types on a computer._

Charlotte- Don't bother. You've tried picking at this tape for an hour or so. If you made a dent, the guards would just reapply it.

_The guards pull out duct tape to reinforce her point._

Hannah- Ugh, fine! Why did the Whisperer give you a computer, anyways?

Charlotte- He knows exactly how to torture me. This thing has no Internet, no games, and I can't change my background from this wretched _thing_.

_She turns the computer around to show that the background is the Whisperer making duck lips, and resumes typing._

Hannah- Well, he knows how to torture me as well. He gave me this spritzer fan, but it's out of batteries and there's just enough water in it that it squirts like a drop, but nothing more.

Charlotte- Just drop it, then.

Hannah- Ugh, but I'm _so close._ If I just squeeze it at the right angle, maybe…

_Charlotte rolls her eyes._

Hannah- Well, if your computer sucks so much, why are you typing so furiously?

Charlotte- I'm finally writing that Samurai Fire Hamsters fanfiction I've been putting off for months.

Hannah- That doesn't sound like torture to me!

Charlotte- Oh, but it is. I don’t know how, but he knows that I can't write without going back and starting over. This is my fifty-sixth time writing the second paragraph today. He's a monster!

_We cut to James, Lauren, Will, and AJ observing Charlotte and Hannah from bushes by the forest._

James- They're too public, we'll never get them down.

Will- Perhaps they know a way we can free them…

AJ- But how are we going to communicate with them?

_James and Will look at each other, and we cut back to Charlotte and Hannah._

Charlotte- But in my AU, Huggle Hamster is actually evil, and he hates his twin brother Snuggle Hamster. So there's like a lot of family drama there that I want to reap for the angst, and don't even get me started on the love triangle.

_Hannah is weeping, but Charlotte hears something and holds up a finger to her._

Charlotte- Wait…

_We hear James making strangled bird noises._

Hannah- That… that sounds like James.

Charlotte- Okay… identify the call, then take the first letter of the bird… he wants to know how they can get us down!

Hannah- That was a code?

_We cut to James, Will, AJ, and Lauren._

Lauren- What was that?

James- You would know if you attended our secret code seminar, Lauren. It _was_ a requirement.

Lauren- See, when you say requirement, I hear suggestion.

_James rolls his eyes, but turns around as Charlotte starts making bird noises as well._

AJ- What did she say?

James- She… she said they want to stay?

Lauren- What?

Will- She and Hannah discussed, and if we get them down now, it won't solve anything. But they have a perfect vantage point over a lot of the camp, and now that we have a way to communicate…

AJ- They can feed us information!

Will- Precisely.

James- Our first step is get a general layout of the camp- let's ask them what they see.

Will- Remember, we have time. We don't want the guards getting suspicious.

_James nods and makes some bird noises, receiving some back from Charlotte._

James- Okay, she told us what she's seen so far. She'll update us if they see more.

_Will, Lauren, and AJ nod, and we cut to Charlotte and Hannah._

Hannah- So… what do we do now?

Charlotte- We watch… and we wait.

_We see a time lapse of Charlotte and Hannah observing. They see carts filled with weapons being wheeled in and out of the school, they catch glimpses of the deputies, Amaru, and Lupa in tents, and they see captured students forced to prepare food for the Woodsworth troops. We cut to James, Will, Lauren, and AJ sometime later. James has a stick, and is drawing in the dirt. He marks several spots._

James- So here's what Charlotte and Hannah have observed. Here's where they're keeping your deputies, Lauren.

_Lauren's eyes narrow._

James- Here's where they're keeping Amaru and Lupa.

Will- They could be useful allies if we can free them.

_James draws some lines._

James- Every day, the prisoners are forced to wheel weapons along these paths.

AJ- Why don't they just use the weapons themselves?

Will- They're supervised by Woodsworth soldiers every step of the way. They'll be punished severely if they step out of line.

James- And here's where they force the prisoners to make the Woodsworth troops food.

Lauren- Doesn't the school have pre-made food delivered every day?

James- It's a power move.

_Lauren nods in understanding._

AJ- So what's the plan?

Will- Well… there isn't a plan yet. We don't want to act rashly and play our cards too early. We still don't know anything going on inside the school or where the Whisperer has set up his base.

Lauren- So what, we just wait?

_James nods._

James- Don't worry, though. I'm confident that we'll get new information that will allow us to formulate a plan.

_Lauren rolls her eyes but nods. We cut to Charlotte and Hannah. Charlotte is typing on her computer when the duct tape is pulled off of them and they are lifted up by guards._

Hannah- Hey! What are you doing!'

_Charlotte tries to kick the guard, but it has no effect._

Charlotte- Let us go! I was just making some progress!

_They are taken into the school, carried through hallways and stairs until they reach the auditorium. We see Charlotte and Hannah keenly observing their surroundings. The auditorium has been transformed into a mock throne room with Woodsworth banners hanging everywhere. At the end sits the Whisperer with Edward by his side. He smiles as he sees Charlotte and Hannah, and gestures for the guards to release them._

Whisperer- Welcome, welcome! Like what I've done with the place?

_Charlotte snorts._

Charlotte- Your temporary redecoration skills could use some work.

Whisperer- Temporary? I plan for this to last a very, _very_ long time. Actually, that's why I brought you two here.

Hannah- What do you want, Whisperer?

Whisperer- Ah, not much. I just wanted to give you a heads up that your services will be required in four days.

Hannah- Services? What are you talking about?

Whisperer- Well, things are in order here at Forrester, and I'm almost ready to head back to Woodsworth. In four days, you will formally hand over power to me and I'll rechristen Forrester as New Woodsworth!

Charlotte- Hand over power to you? As if!

Whisperer- Honey, I already _have_ all the power. This is just a formality, and if you do it… I'll shorten your sentence.

Hannah- We have a sentence?

Whisperer- Currently a lifetime one, but I can see a future where you're free next year. I mean, without the rest of your little posse, you're no threat.

_Charlotte and Hannah exchange a look._

Charlotte- Never.

_The Whisperer arches an eyebrow._

Whisperer- Well, for your sake, I hope you change your minds.

_He gestures to the guards, and they are dragged away. We cut to them once again duct taped to the outside of Forrester._

Hannah- So the Whisperer is in the auditorium…

Charlotte- Four days… that's how long we have…

_They look at each other._

Charlotte- They'll want to hear about this.

_We cut to James and Will talking to each other._

James- This new information… we have to act quickly.

Will- All the pieces are in place… we just have to put them together.

_He puts his arm on James' shoulder and turns him towards the makeshift map of Forrester in the dirt. James squirms, but eventually relents._

Will- We'll make a plan… together.

James- Together.

_We see a montage set to voiceover from James and Will. First we see James and Will facing Lauren and AJ._

Will- So here's the plan…

_We see Charlotte and Hannah listening to James making bird noises._

James (voiceover)- By this point, the guards will have started to get suspicious of you two. So we need you to deliver one last message.

Will (voiceover)- We taught several students in the school our code just in case a situation ever called for it. Give them the plan, and tell them to spread the word to the other Forrester students.

_We see Charlotte making a very long series of bird noises at the students below. One or two of them perk up their ear and listen. The guard looks suspiciously at Charlotte._

Guard- Hey, cut that out!

_Charlotte squawks faster, finishing just before duct tape is placed over her and Hannah's mouths. She looks over at Hannah and nods. Then we see shots of the various prisoners around Forrester._

James (voiceover)- The one crucial weakness in the Whisperer's administration is his tyranny. The students of Maple Valley and Forrester aren't loyal to him, they're prisoners.

Will (voiceover)- If we can free and arm the prisoners, then the Woodsworth troops will be outnumbered.

Lauren (voiceover)- And how are we gonna do that with just us?

James (voiceover)- It starts with freeing a key few people.

_We see shots of the deputies being guarded by a whole host of soldiers, and of Amaru and Lupa tied up in a tent. Then we see the prisoners wheeling carts of weapons._

Will (voiceover)- For this plan to work, we're gonna need to visit some old friends…

_We cut to James, Will, Lauren, and AJ in Becky and Christopher's shop. Becky hands them a vial of poison._

Becky- Here you go! Are you sure you don't want more poison? There's a buy one, get one free sale going on!

AJ- We're good, thanks.

James- No hard feelings, right?

_Becky grits her teeth so hard they might shatter._

Becky- _None whatsoever_.

_As they walk out, Lauren catches a knife coming from behind her and tosses it back at Christopher. It sinks into the wall next to him, and he grunts._

Becky- Ugh, politics was a nightmare. I'm so glad I've put it behind me.

AJ (voiceover)- Just one vial of poison? Won't we need more?

James (voiceover)- It would look too suspicious if all the soldiers suddenly became sick. No, we just need a select few…

_We see more shots of the soldiers guarding the prisoners as they cart the weapons._

Will (voiceover)- Once we take out those soldiers, the students can commandeer the weapons and get them where we need them…

_We see shots of James and Will explaining their plan to Lauren and AJ, but we don't hear what they say. Lauren yawns, and AJ listens intently._

James- And that's the plan!

AJ- Woah! That was awesome!

Lauren- There's a problem…

Will- Oh?

Lauren- How are we gonna get into the school in the first place?

James- Ah, that. We'll just use an old trick of the trade…

_We cut to James walking out of a dressing room in football garb._

James- Disguises!

_He switches his voice quickly._

James- I'm Bob… McBobson. I like… football?

_Will strides from the dressing room next to him._

Will- I am Rudolph Schmidt the Third! I am first in line for the throne of Germania!

_AJ comes out of the next dressing room, wearing a cowboy hat and doing an awful Southern accent. He looks at his hand to remember his line._

AJ- Well howdy there, missy, I'm, uh, Lil' Chuck.

_James and Will look at each other disappointedly._

Will- I have to say, the Whisperer was a much better Lil' Chuck than you.

_They all look over to the last dressing room._

James- Come out, Lauren.

Lauren- Ugh, no! This is awful!

Will- We did this on short notice. Just suck it up!

_Lauren groans and walks out. She is heavily made up, wearing an extremely short skirt, and her hair is in a full ponytail._

James- Now say it…

Lauren- No…

AJ- Say it, say it!

_Lauren groans again and puts on a Valley Girl voice._

Lauren- Like, hi there, guys! I'm Sierra McSkimpy, and I'm vegan!

_James, Will, and AJ applaud, and Lauren rolls her eyes._

James (voiceover)- The Whisperer will want everyone there for this ceremony. That means he needs to get all the students from Woodsworth across the lake in the middle of the day.

Will (voiceover)- There's only one way to do that… the yacht. If we can get on, then we're in.

_We cut to James, Will, AJ, and Lauren sneaking into Forrester. The yacht is by the lake and we see Quentin at the helm. The Forrester gang ducks down and blends in with the crowd. We see them sailing across the lake, and James and Will are smiling. Then we cut to Forrester, where a prisoner/slave is walking around._

James (voiceover)- To make sure we can get in, we've given a job to one of our elite students.

_A Woodsworth soldier yells to the prisoners._

Soldier- Hey, one of you prisoners go get the guest list from the printer!

_The elite student stands up._

Student- I'll do it!

_We see him rush to the printer, taking out the guest list, and shred it. Then he pulls another sheet of paper from his pocket. At the bottom of it, the names 'Bob McBobson,' 'Rudolph Schmidt the Third,' 'Lil' Chuck,' and 'Sierra McSkimpy' are written. The elite student smiles, and we cut to James, Will, AJ, and Lauren getting off the yacht at Forrester. They get in line to be admitted._

Guard- What are your names?

James- Um… Bob… McBobson.

Will- I am Rudolph Schmidt the Third!

AJ- Hi there, fella, I'm Lil' Chuck.

_Lauren giggles._

Lauren- Like, I'm Sierra McSkimpy. I'm vegan!

_The guard finds their names on the list and ushers them in._

James (voiceover)- Once we're in… we go!

_They all nod at each other and go their separate ways. James and Will head inside the school, AJ heads to some tents, and Lauren looks over where Charlotte and Hannah are hanging and goes inside the school through a different door. As James leaves, he tosses the vial of poison to his side, where it is caught by a prisoner. The prisoner examines the poison, then quickly rushes to the spot where other prisoners are making food, giving them the poison. They smile and nod, tucking the poison away. We cut to Charlotte and Hannah waiting._

Charlotte- Any minute now…

Hannah- You really think we can pull it off?

Charlotte- Past experience would suggest no, but James and Will actually used their brains this time, so who knows?

_They are startled when they hear yells and grunts from behind them._

Hannah- What?

_They are both un-taped and pulled up to see Lauren._

Hannah- Sierra McSkimpy? I follow you on social media!

_Lauren rolls her eyes._

Lauren- Hannah, it's me.

Charlotte- Lauren! Good to see you again.

Lauren- You been working on that Samurai Fire Hamsters fanfiction?

_Charlotte nods and Lauren laughs._

Lauren- Okay, okay. Business time.

_Lauren tosses Hannah's purse to her._

Lauren- I found this on one of the guards.

_She rips off her outfit to reveal more battle-ready clothes underneath._

Lauren- Got anything inside to get this stupid makeup off of me?

_Hannah pulls out a power hose and sprays her down._

Lauren- Perfect. Now gimme a weapon quick.

_Hannah pulls out a giant foam axe and hands it to Lauren. Lauren grins._

Lauren- You all know your parts?

_Hannah and Charlotte nod._

Hannah- What are you going to do?

Lauren- I'll free as many prisoners as I can. Come and get me when it's time for phase two.

_She runs off, and Charlotte and Hannah go their separate ways as well. We cut to AJ walking towards some tents. He focuses on one tent being entered by some large guards. He gulps, pulls out a small paintball pistol, and enters the tent. Then we cut to James and Will walking through the hallways of Forrester. They start feeling around the walls._

James- Where is that secret panel? Ah, here we are.

_He types some numbers into the wall and it opens up a small cabinet where a spear and trident are waiting for them, as well as some pistols. They grab them and smile._

Will- Let's go, quickly. To the master computer!

_They rush through the hallways, and we cut to Charlotte rushing through the camp. She grabs a foam sword from a cart._

Soldier- Hey!

Charlotte- Please don't be dead, AJ.

_She enters a tent to find AJ on his knees, pounding his fists against a guard's leg with no effect._

AJ- I… I almost have you.

_Charlotte rolls her eyes and quickly takes out both of the guards._

AJ- I did it!

Charlotte- AJ, you are going to single-handedly make me a misanthrope.

_They hear a voice, and turn to the back of the tent to see Amaru and Lupa._

Amaru- Um, hello?

Lupa- Are you going to untie us or not?

_Charlotte and AJ quickly do so._

Amaru- So, what's the plan.

Charlotte- Well, you two need to free as many Maple Valley students as possible. You all know how to deal with Karasu and their Nightfeathers. Can you help us?

_Amaru chuckles._

Amaru- Get us our stuff, please.

_All around the camp, we see the soldiers guarding the weapon guards start clutching their stomachs, eventually falling to the ground._

Student- They're down! Let's go!

_They begin wheeling carts all over, distributing weapons to prisoners. One cart is stopped by Hannah._

Hannah- I'll take over.

_She wheels the cart into a tent, where we see the deputies guarded by soldiers. Hannah waves at the guards._

Hannah- Hi, boys.

_She pulls out a gun from the cart and starts firing, paint splattering across the tent. She turns to the deputies._

Hannah- Shall we?

_The deputies smile as Hannah unties them._

Mr. Garcia- What do you need?

Hannah- Go find James and Will in the school. They'll need your help.

_The deputies nod and rush away. Hannah walks out of the tent and sees Lauren taking down enemies nearby and the camp slowly erupts into chaos._

Hannah- Lauren! Time for phase two!

_Lauren grins and runs over, joined by AJ and Charlotte._

Lauren- Let's do it!

_They all turn towards the lake where the two yachts stand. Quentin, Lydia, and Ben are standing on the deck and finally see them._

Quentin- _What_?

_We cut to a small boy in glasses being escorted by guards. They open up a door to a room to find James and Will._

James- Excuse us!

_They quickly take in the guards in perfect synchronization, knocking the small boy to the ground. Will looks at James._

Will- Not gonna lie, that was kind of hot.

James- Will! Not the time!

_He looks down at the small boy._

James- Hand it over.

_The boy rummages in his pocket, pulling out a flash drive and handing it to James, who crushes it under his foot. He hands some rope to Will._

James- Tie them all up, and I'll get things in order.

_Will nods, and James pulls out his own flash drive. We cut to the Whisperer's throne room. A guard rushes in._

Guard- Sir! Charlotte and Hannah are nowhere to be found, several prisoners have been freed, and there's an uprising happening outside the school!

_The Whisperer's eyes widen._

Whisperer- And I'm just hearing about this _now_? Send every soldier we have to quell the uprising and search for James, Will, and their associates. They must have infiltrated the school!

_The guard nods and runs off. The Whisperer sits down, but is clearly nervous. We cut to Karasu observing the uprising below from a perch on the wall of the school. They narrow their eyes and leap down, taking down several escaped prisoners. They smile cruelly before an arrow suddenly whizzes by their face. They turn around to see Amaru and Lupa._

Karasu- Ah… good to see you two again.

Lupa- You betrayed us, Karasu.

Karasu- Well, what did you expect?

_Amaru laughs._

Amaru- I suppose you're right.

_He nocks another arrow and fires it, but Karasu disappears in a cloud of smoke, reappearing behind Lupa, who quickly whirls around to block their strikes._

Amaru- Ugh, I always hated that stupid smoke trick you pulled.

_He fires at Karasu again, but they keeps on disappearing. Eventually, Amaru gets fed up._

Amaru- Lupa, cover your nose and mouth.

_He pulls out a vial of poison and throws it to the ground, creating a large cloud. When Karasu reappears again, they almost immediately falls to the ground coughing. Amaru throws down another vial that clears the air, and he and Lupa approach them._

Amaru- We have our own tricks too, Karasu.

_Lupa grins and swings her spear at Karasu on the ground, sending them flying. Scowling, they get up, still coughing. Karasu looks around the battlefield and sees their Nightfeathers losing badly._

Karasu- Nightfeathers, retreat!

_The Nightfeathers all fall back, disappearing a massive cloud of smoke. Amaru and Lupa turn to their tribes and give a victory yell. We cut to Hannah, Charlotte, Lauren, and AJ running towards the yachts as the soldiers onboard fire at them._

Lauren- Hannah!

_Hannah nods and Lauren jumps on top of her shield to get onto the ship, taking out several soldiers. She fires at Lydia several times, but Lydia scurries away to join Quentin and Ben. Charlotte, Hannah, and AJ arrive on the yacht. They notice Charlie cowering behind them._

Lauren- Charlie, help us with these guys! The Whisperer is going down today!

_Charlie's eyes dart around._

Charlie- I…I…I can't.

_Lauren's face is sympathetic, but she hardens herself._

Lauren- Then stay out of our way.

_They engage in battle, and Charlie rushes away to the back of the yacht. Lydia and Hannah have a shootout, ducking behind cover and coming out to fire at each other._

Lydia- When will you people give up!? Woodsworth already won!

Hannah- That's what Sterling thought, and look where that got him!

_Lydia pokes her head out from cover, and sees nothing. She waits for a second, then hears a yell and turns to see Hannah running at her from the side. Hannah slams her with her shield, sending her flying over the deck. Lydia scrambles to get up only to have Hannah's rifle in her face._

Hannah- Try it… I won't hesitate.

_Lydia is tense for a few seconds, then drops her gun. We cut to Quentin having a swordfight with Charlotte. He tries to pull out his pistol, but Charlotte knocks it out of his hand. He growls and advances on her, knocking her back._

Quentin- Don't you know what happens when you attack a captain on his own ship!?

_Charlotte grins and points behind him. He turns just as AJ runs up to him, swiping his sword and him and knocking him to the ground._

Charlotte- It's called a mutiny.

_She looks at AJ, who is staring at her expectedly._

Charlotte- Yes, AJ, you did a good job too.

_AJ fist pumps._

AJ- Yes!

_We cut to Lauren trying to fire at Ben as he runs towards her, but he dodges it. She pulls out her axe, and they clash for a bit before he is knocked back. He rolls his eyes and leaps over to the other yacht, climbing behind a cannon._

Ben- Let’s see how you like this!

_He fires, and Lauren leaps to the side as a paintball projectile splatters across the deck._

Lauren- Hey, moron! Why don't you look at literally anything besides me!?

_Ben is confused before he sees Charlotte, Hannah, and AJ each beside their own cannons._

Ben- Oh, sh-

_He is blasted from every direction and lies on the ground, dazed. The Forrester gang gets up from their cannons and notice Charlie in the back. They walk over to him, and he backs up slightly._

Hannah- You poor thing… what did he do to you?

_Charlotte places a hand on his shoulder._

Charlotte- You're okay now, Charlie.

Lauren- We know you wouldn't betray us like that.

Charlotte- Just stay here and rest assured, whatever the Whisperer did to you, he's got coming to him.

_We cut to James and Will strolling confidently down the hallway. Some guards spot them._

Guard- Hey! Get them!

_James smiles and snaps his fingers, the deputies arriving by their sides and dispatching any guards in their way. James and Will are escorted to a door, through which they head into a small room with a control panel._

Will- Three exits from the auditorium…

_He presses a button._

Will- One exit from the auditorium.

_We cut to the auditorium, where the Whisperer hears a clicking noise._

Whisperer- What was that?

_The guards at the side doors try to pull on them, but can't open them._

Guard- Sir, the doors are locked.

_The Whisperer is shocked._

Whisperer- They've taken over the control panel? This is worse than we thought…

Guard- Should we escort you out, sir?

Whisperer- There's only one exit, idiot. We can't venture out into that chaos. All we can do now is hope we don't need to use the backup plan.

_He sighs, sitting further back in his chair. We cut to projectors illuminating all around the school as the freed prisoners push into the school._

Lupa- Push them into the courtyard!

_A video of James and Will is projected all around the school, starting with an advertising jingle._

James and Will- **Orwick and Cross, they're both the boss! So listen to what they're sayin'.**

_We see James and Will photoshopped against a changing nature background._

James- Hi there, I'm James Orwick.

Will- And I'm Will Cross.

_It cuts to them from a different angle for no reason._

James- If you're watching this, then there's currently a revolution occurring at Forrester school.

Will- We'd like to thank those aiding in our revolt, and we just want to extend an olive branch to those Woodsworth soldiers still serving the Whisperer.

_A photo of the Whisperer is shown with a big X over it as airhorns play._

James- You have no reason to fight for this guy! He's a tyrant that only got where he is because of us! Betray him and we'll show some mercy!

Will- Thanks for hearing us out. And one more thing… if you're in the courtyard right now, you'd better watch out!

_The video cuts off and we quickly cut to Charlotte, AJ, Lauren, and Hannah manning the cannons of the two yachts. They fire giant projectiles over the wall, knocking down all the enemies in the courtyard. They fire a couple more volleys, and we hear James and Will over the loudspeaker._

James- Everyone, the Woodsworth army has fallen!

_Cheers echo through the hallways._

Will- To the auditorium! The Whisperer will answer for his crimes!

_Yells echo through the hallways. We cut to the Whisperer in his throne as he hears the announcement._

Whisperer- Wheel out the cannons!

Guard- But, sir-

Whisperer- You will not allow your leader to go down without a fight!

_The guards oblige and wheel out some cannons, firing at the singular doorway as rebels pour in. The Whisperer and Edward both pull out massive guns and start firing._

Whisperer- You can't beat me! I _always_ get my way!

_Lauren's deputies take out the guards on the cannons, Carmen shooting one with her sniper rifle and Gabriel chucking his shield at the other. The Whisperer and Edward keep firing, but eventually run out of ammo._

Whisperer- No!

_Over the mass of defeated rebels, James, Will, AJ, Charlotte, Lauren, and Hannah approach._

Whisperer- I assume you're not here to congratulate me on my success.

James- Whisperer… you have broken the unspoken rules of the schools.

Will- You involved outside authorities and sent our friend Angela to juvenile detention.

_The Whisperer rolls his eyes._

Whisperer- Yeah, what about it?

Lauren- You clearly tortured Charlie beyond reasonable limits.

Whisperer- Guilty as charged, though we didn't show most of it onscreen for advertising reasons.

Charlotte- Quiet!

James- Your rule over Forrester and Woodsworth ends now, and you will spend the rest of your high school life in prison.

Whisperer- Ah, but you see, that's where you're wrong!

_Lauren rolls her eyes._

Lauren- Here we go…

Whisperer- The first thing I did when I moved in here was add in a little something to remind me of home…

_He pushes a button behind him and his chair starts rising up through a convenient hole in the ceiling._

Whisperer- Hydraulic lift, suckers! See you later!

Hannah- Get him!

_They run towards his slowly rising chair._

Whisperer- Edward!

_Edward knocks them all back, standing his ground. James gestures to all the soldiers there._

James- Fire!

_Edward is hit with a veritable barrage of paintballs, but still stands his ground and knocks back anyone that gets close. Even under fire from dozens of students, he protects his boss._

AJ- He's not budging!

James- Quickly, we need to get to the roof!

_They rush out and find the nearest staircase, running up as fast as they can._

Lauren- Come on, you guys, keep up!

_They finally reach the roof to see the Whisperer jumping off the roof with a parachute._

Will- No!

_The Whisperer laughs as he floats off until he realizes he's not moving. He looks back to see Lauren holding onto his parachute._

Whisperer- Oh, dear.

_Lauren yanks him back, sending him sprawling across the roof. He scrambles to his feet and backs away._

Lauren- I'm gonna wipe that smug smirk off your face once and for all.

_James and Will approach him._

James- Surrender now, and we can work something out.

Whisperer- Ugh, would you cut it out? We all know what you're going to do with me.

Will- Come with us quietly, and we won't be as brutal as _you_ , we promise.

_He extends a hand, and the Whisperer looks down. Slowly, he extends his hand before reaching under his coat. Lauren steps forward and catches his scrawny arm as he holds out a real knife. James and Will are startled and recoil as the knife clatters to the ground and Lauren kicks it away._

James- A… a _real_ knife, Whisperer? You're insane.

Whisperer- I just care more than you about winning, I suppose.

_He laughs, and Lauren slowly backs off. Everyone watches the Whisperer cautiously._

Whisperer- There's no way out of this one, is there?

_He keeps laughing, but eventually falls quieter and starts clutching his head._

Will- Whisperer? Whisperer!

James- What's wrong with him?

_The Whisperer eventually collapses on the ground, not moving._

Hannah- What in the… he's not moving!

Charlotte- Check his breathing!

_Before anyone can, however, a hand comes out of the hole in the roof with a thud. They all turn around to see Edward pulling himself up, covered in paint. They stand their ground, but he pushes them aside to get to the Whisperer. He kneels down in front of him and speaks quietly._

Edward- Alan…

_He picks up the Whisperer's frail frame, gently handling him. He glares at the Forrester gang before jumping off the roof._

AJ- Wait! Where's he going?

James- I…I don't know.

_Everyone is dumbfounded for a second._

Will- I think we won?

Amaru- Yes, we did!

_They turn around to see Amaru and Lupa standing behind them._

James- Um… thank you for your support.

Lupa- What happened to the Whisperer?

Hannah- We're…we're not quite sure, but he's out of the picture.

Amaru- Well then… what now?

_Will sighs/_

Will- We try our best to get things in order. I think we could-

_They hear a yell from behind them, and look down from the roof to see Lydia, Ben, and Quentin struggling to run away as they are all tied together._

Lydia- So long, losers! We're gonna get our own boat and take to the open seas!

_Ben makes a call-me gesture, but is then dragged away. Lauren prepares to go after them, but James holds her back._

James- Leave them. We have bigger things to worry about.

Lupa- Indeed… we're still prepared to accept Charlie as our leader.

James- And he will step up… but he'll need some time first.

_Amaru yawns loudly._

Amaru- All this talk! At Maple Valley, when we win, we celebrate before anything else! Hopefully this feast will go better than the last one!

_They all laugh and walk down the stairs. We see shots of the massive party happening around the school later as we hear internal monologues._

James (internal monologue)- If there's one thing you need to know, it's to expect everything to go wrong. No matter how well thought out your plans are, they can all fall apart in an instant.

Will (internal monologue)- Sometimes, your failures are out of your control, but you can always learn from them and come back stronger.

_We see a brief shot of the gang talking to Angela through a window._

Angela (internal monologue)- Sometimes you can lose everything and have no way of getting it back. Then, you just have to hold on to the things… and the people that you still have.

_We see AJ and Hannah at the party._

Hannah (internal monologue)- Sometimes, you think you've lost everything, only to find something better than you ever had.

AJ (internal monologue)- Sometimes, when you expect the worst out of someone, they can surprise you and be better than you ever thought they were.

_We see Charlotte and Lauren._

Lauren (internal monologue)- Sometimes, you find out the only way to solve something is to keep trying again and again and again until you do something right.

Charlotte (internal monologue)- And sometimes you finally get the inspiration to write that fanfiction you've been thinking about for-

James (internal monologue)- Charlotte! We have a theme going here!

Charlotte (internal monologue)- Eh, whatever.

Will (internal monologue)- Oh, it's fine, we'll just skip to the end. But hey…

James, Will, AJ, Hannah, Charlotte, Lauren (internal monologue)- That's just how you rule the school!

_We pan out from Forrester and fade to black_

_End episode._


	39. Rule the School- The Big Dance

**Special Three: The Big Dance**

Synopsis: Forrester throws the Big Dance for the first time in years… and it's a musical!

_We open on slow music as a camera pans around the hallways of Forrester. We see posters on the walls advertising a 'Big Dance.' Students whisper excitedly, and we see Charlotte walking down the hallway, observing the students with a satisfied expression on her face. Credits for each main character (excluding Charlie and the Whisperer), appear on the screen in large letters. We cut to a dramatic red curtain. It starts to open, but Lauren pushes through it as she talks on the phone, leaving the students holding the curtain to awkwardly walk away._

Lauren- You're sure you don't want to come to school yet, Notch?

_A pause._

Lauren- Okay, okay. Take your time.

_She hangs up and walks into the school. She sees the posters all around and frowns._

Lauren- What's with the background music?

_She looks at some students examining the posters. Their movements and facial expressions are completely over the top._

Lauren- What are they doing?

_She spots Charlotte and runs up to her._

Charlotte- Oh, hello, Lauren.

Lauren- Charlotte, everyone's acting weird!

_A dramatic beat of the music._

Charlotte- What are you talking about? Everything going as planned.

_She starts to back up, and the music begins to build._

**"The Big Dance"**

Lauren- What's going on here, Charlotte?

_Charlotte turns around sharply as music starts to play. Other students gather around her as she begins to sing._

Charlotte- **Oh, Lauren, don't you see? It's clear to him and her and me. It's exhilarating, the air is abuzz! It's the greatest news there ever was!**

Student 1 **\- Did you hear it?**

Student 2 **\- I did! I can't believe it!**

Student 3- **Me neither!**

Students 1, 2, 3- **After all these years I thought there'd never be another!**

Lauren- I still don't get it. Another what?

Charlotte- **I'm talking lights!**

Students- **Lights!**

Charlotte- **I'm talking music!**

Students- **Music!**

Charlotte- **I'm talking the best party this side of the lake! So get ready to dance 'til your knees start to ache!**

_Charlotte strolls down the hallway lined with students._

Charlotte- **It's the big dance!**

Students- **It's the big dance!**

Charlotte- **It's the bi-ig dance.**

Students- **It's the bi-ig dance.**

Charlotte- **And it's coming up tonight so don't miss your chance!**

_More students enter._

Charlotte- **I'm talking big!**

Students- **Big!**

Charlotte- **I'm talking shiny!**

Students- **Shiny!**

Charlotte- **Every party before it will look so tiny!**

_Charlotte throws advertising posters into the air and they rain down magically. The students dance around Lauren with the posters as Charlotte is lifted by other students._

Charlotte- **Oh-oh-oooh! It's gonna be big!**

Students- **Big!**

Charlotte- **It's gonna be grand!**

Students- **Grand!**

Charlotte- **You're gonna have the whole night in the palm of your hand!**

_The music swells as we pan above to a bird's eye view of the spiraling students around Lauren._

Charlotte and Students- **It's…the… big dance! It's the bi-ig dance! It's coming up tonight, you've got one chance!**

_Charlotte walks over the other students._

Charlotte- **So drop what you're doing, your presence is required! It's everything you've ever desired! It's the big dance, it's time to take flight. To rule the school… for just one niiiiiiiight!**

_Charlotte takes a bow and flips backwards onto the ground. The students all applaud. Lauren groans._

Lauren- We're doing a musical?

Charlotte- Yeah, get over it, Lauren! Don't ruin the vibe of this episode with meta jokes!

Lauren- Do I have to come to the dance?

Charlotte- Of course you do, Lauren! I'll be DJing!

Lauren- Fine…

_We cut to them walking down the hallway later._

Lauren- How come I never heard of this Big Dance thing before?

Charlotte- We haven't had one in years. But after we defeated the Whisperer, Will convinced James to bring it back.

Lauren- Why haven't we-

Charlotte- Shush. Look…

_She points to AJ, who is watching Hannah talk with Emily and Carmen (two of the deputies)._

Lauren- Yeah, Hannah's been making friends with some of the deputies.

Charlotte- Not her, AJ!

Lauren- What about him? We all know he's head over heels.

Charlotte- But the dance is coming up…

_It dawns on Lauren._

Lauren- We need to find the boys.

_We cut to James and Will as they walk down the hallway. Will is excitedly talking to some students while James taps on his phone._

Will- And then we've got to get the best catering! I know some waiters that would be thrilled to serve.

_He elbows James' side as he waves away the students._

Will- Ugh, what are you doing now, James?

James- I'm just making sure the security for the dance is airtight.

_Will pokes at James' face._

Will- Lighten up, Orwick. I thought the reason you agreed to bring back the Big Dance was to have fun.

James- No, the reason I agreed was because you climbed through my bedroom window at midnight and wouldn't get off my bed until I brought back the dance.

Will- You could've at _least_ offered me the guest room.

_James finally slaps away Will's hand when he goes for another poke. Will pouts, but lightens up when he sees Lauren and Charlotte running towards them._

Charlotte- James, Will!

Will- Ladies! What's up?

_Lauren grabs the phone out of James' hand._

Lauren- No phone, James. We have important business to discuss.

Will- Sorry, gals. He's just been _so tense lately_.

_Will tries to massage James' shoulders, but he worms out of Will's grip._

James- Fine! What is it?

Charlotte- I think AJ wants to ask Hannah to the dance.

_James and Will immediately light up._

Will- Oh, this is _too_ good.

James- They grow up so fast.

Will- Is it time for Operation Wingman?

_Charlotte nods, and Will rubs his hands together in glee._

Will- Well, then there's not a moment to waste!

_We cut to AJ observing Hannah and her friends from afar. Suddenly, James, Will, Lauren, and Charlotte rise ominously from behind him, giving him a start._

AJ- What… what are you guys doing here?

**"Dip Your Toe in the Water"**

Charlotte- What do you think you're doing, AJ?

Will- Get out there and ask her to the dance! You know you want to.

AJ- I don't know… what if she says no?

_Will rolls his eyes, and he, James, and Charlotte begin to snap their fingers. Charlotte elbows Lauren, who reluctantly begins to snap and sing with them, barbershop quartet style._

Will, Charlotte, James, and Lauren- **Dip your toe in the water, it's easy as pie. What's the worst that could happen, just try!**

Lauren- **Don't be afraid of rejection.**

Charlotte- **Just give it a shot!**

James- **I know that you're feeling nervous.**

Will- **But would you rather be with her or not?**

James, Will, Charlotte, and Lauren- **Oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo… dip your toe…in the water…**

AJ- I… I'm still not-

Lauren- Nuh-uh. We sang a song, you're doing it!

_She pushes AJ out in the open towards Hannah. AJ tries to walk back, but the others block the way. Hannah turns around._

Hannah- Oh, hey AJ!

AJ- Oh… hey, Hannah. So I was wondering…

_Hannah's eyes widen and she gestures for her friends to back up._

Hannah- Yes…

_AJ takes a deep breath, then he freezes._

AJ- I…uh. I… uh.

**"The Ask"**

_The world freezes around AJ and Hannah and they both face the camera as frantic piano begins to play._

AJ- **And that's when she looks at me that special way she does. That look that makes my knees go 'bleh!' That's when I realize that her eyes are really pretty… like pools of chocolate brown.**

Hannah- **And that's when I realize that he really wants to ask me but he doesn't really know how and I don't know how to help him. Should I ask him myself and just screw gender norms, or should I just wait and wait?**

AJ- **It's the ask!**

Hannah- **It's the ask!**

AJ- **It's the ask!**

Hannah- **It's the ask!**

AJ and Hannah- **And I don't know what to do and I don't know what to say. We're young and our brains aren't developed fully yet so this is the worst we can imagine!**

AJ- **I just need to do it, gotta muster up the courage. I'm sure she'll say yes or she'll let me down easy. Or maybe she'll just laugh and slap my face and stab my chest and spit on my corpse and burn my body and cover it up and carry on without me!**

Hannah- **I know there's something dumb going through his head right now and he'll say it and I'll laugh and he'll take it the wrong way. But I just want to end this, don't wanna prolong, so maybe I'll just ask him!**

AJ- **This is just like that nightmare that I had the other night, except her head's not on fire and I have all my teeth.**

Hannah- **This is just like that daydream that I had the other day, except it's much more scary and I can't really breathe.**

AJ- **It's the ask!**

Hannah- **It's the ask!**

AJ- **It's the ask!**

Hannah- **It's the ask!**

AJ and Hannah- **And I don't know what to do and I don't know what to say. We're young and our brains aren't developed fully yet so this is the worst we can imagine!**

_Suddenly, a spotlight shines on AJ._

AJ- **I know… I know. I've got an idea. I'll bring up the dance real casual-like. I'll take my time until I'm ready to go. I'll steer the conversation like a the captain of a ship. And then I'll ask, it'll be over in a zip. Oho, I'm so clever, it's the best idea ever!**

_We return to real time as AJ turns to Hannah._

AJ- So, the dance is coming up tonight, huh?

_Hannah smiles._

Hannah- Yeah.

_Spotlight on AJ again as he freezes._

AJ- **Oh no… I'm freezing. I'm gonna say something and I don't know what. No, no, stupid mouth, please, please, please shut!**

_Spotlight off as AJ forces words from his mouth._

AJ- So…um…did you watch that football game last night?

_Hannah looks confused._

Hannah- Um… no?

AJ- Yeah… me neither.

_Spotlight on both of them. AJ slaps his own face and Hannah rubs her forehead._

AJ- **It's the ask!**

Hannah- **It's the ask!**

AJ- **It's the ask!**

Hannah- **It's the ask!**

AJ- **AAAAAAAAAH!**

Hannah- **AAAAAAAAAAAH!**

AJ and Hannah- **We're young and our brains aren't developed fully yet so this is the worst we can imagine!**

AJ- **It's over, I'm stupid, I'm done, I'm through! I had my chance but it's time for adieu!**

Hannah- **I've got to do something, I can’t led this end! This talk has been bad but there's still time to mend.**

_Spotlight off. AJ chuckles awkwardly._

AJ- So…um…bye.

Hannah- Ok, bye…

_She suddenly yells as he walks away._

Hannah- Pick me up at six for the dance tonight!

AJ- What?

_He turns around to see her running away frantically. He looks to James, Will, Lauren, and Charlotte._

Charlotte- Um… nice job?

_Lauren slaps AJ on the back, sending him to the ground. Charlotte and Lauren laugh and walk off._

Will- Come on, James! Let's make the final preparations for the dance.

_James' face darkens._

James- I… I'll go do some last security setups.

Will- Come on…

_He catches James' arm as he walks away._

Will- Come with me…

_James tugs his arm away and rushes down the hallway. Will turns around to look at AJ_

AJ- **Oooooooo… dip your toe in the-**

Will- Not a word, AJ.

AJ- Well, I'm going to go get tickets for the dance. You wanna come with?

Will- I already _have_ tickets, AJ. I'm just… going to go do some party planning. Get my mind off stuff.

_We cut to Hannah and Charlotte observing Lauren walking in a hallway from the vents._

Charlotte- There she is…

Hannah- Wait for it…

Charlotte- Now!

_Charlotte, Hannah, Carmen, and Emily all fall down from the vents, running towards Lauren. She pulls out her pistols and fires on them. Charlotte engages her in hand to hand combat while Emily gets on her back and pulls her down._

Charlotte- Give in!

Lauren- Never!

_She shakes them off, but as she tries to run, she realizes her legs have been tied by Hannah. She falls to the ground, and is quickly tied up._

Lauren- No! No!

Hannah- Sorry, Lauren, but there's no getting out of this one. You _are_ trying on clothes with us.

_AJ stumbles upon the scene._

AJ- Um… what's going on here?

_Hannah grabs him._

Hannah- AJ, you're coming with us!

AJ- Um, okay, I guess.

_Charlotte, Emily, and Carmen pick up the bound Lauren and carry her away as Hannah drags AJ away. Then we cut to Will in the large ballroom. He examines the barren walls and floor as music starts to play._

**"As You Wish"**

_Will examines the dance room, tapping his chin as he thinks._

Will- **I want streamers strung across the wall. I want chocolate fountains standing tall.**

_He excitedly walks around the room._

Will- **I want hula hoops and shuffleboard; this party's got to be adored!**

_The Helpers enter from side doors, holding various trays and tools and circling around Will._

Helpers- **As you wish, as you wish, as you wish, as you wish. As you wish, as you wish, as you wi-i-ish.**

_Will grins and starts pointing around the room as the Helpers start to set up the party._

Will- **I want snacks from every nation's door, or I guess the local grocery store. I want everyone in town to talk- sayin' Forrester's got fun on lock!**

Helpers- **As you wish, as you wish, as you wish!**

_A Head Helper (HH) steps forward and dances around Will._

HH- **All your needs attended to; whatever you want done, we'll do.**

Helpers- **Oh-oh-oh, as you wish. Oh-oh-oh, as you wish.**

Will- **I want lights!**

Helpers- **As you wish.**

Will- **I want music!**

Helpers- **As you wish.**

Will- **I want the best party this side of the lake!**

HH- **Stop worrying, sir, it's a piece of cake!**

Helpers 1- **As you wish.**

Helpers 2- **As you wish.**

Helpers 1- **As you wish.**

Helpers 2- **As you wish.**

Helpers- **As you wish, as you wish, as you wish.**

_The Helpers perform a dance as the Head Helper dances with Will, showing him around as the dance room comes to life with decorations._

Will- **All my needs attended to; whatever I want done, they'll do!**

_Will dances around on the tables._

Helpers 1- **Aaaaaah…**

Helpers 2- **Aaaaaah…**

Helpers 3- **Aaaaaah…**

Helpers 4- **Aaaaaah…**

_Will is amazed at the sight of the beautiful dance floor._

Helpers 1- **Aaaaaah…**

Helpers 2- **Aaaaaah…**

Helpers 3- **Aaaaaah…**

Helpers 4- **Aaaaaah…**

Helpers and HH- **As you wish!** Will- **As I wish!**

_Will leaps down from the table._

Will- Oh, this dance is going to be _amazing_. I can't wait! It's-

_His words trail off as he looks towards the door._

**"As You Wish- Reprise"**

_James enters, looking distraught and distracted. He gestures to the Helpers._

James- **I want ten guards posted at the door. And stay in touch, we might need more.**

Helpers- **Oh-oh-oh, as you wish. Oh-oh-oh, as you wish.**

James- **I want someone watching the footage all night, and I want you to make sure the floor has enough light. Make sure the attendants are ready to play rough; there's one camera in here, but it not be enough.**

Helpers- **Oh-oh-oh, as you wish. Oh-oh-oh, as you wish.**

Will- James, what are you talking about?

James- I'm just making sure we're ready for intruders.

Will- Intruders? Who would want to invade a dance?

_Head Helper gasps._

Head Helper- Oh, I get it! You're worried about the-

_James shushes him._

James- **Not another word, you'll make me sour. Just saying their name can give them power.**

Will- James! Who are you talking about?

_James appears surprised._

James- Oh… I forgot that it was before you came. Will… there's a reason this is the first dance we've had in years.

Will- I was always curious about that, but I just had to do something fun to celebrate our victory.

James- **It was a long, long time ago.**

_The Helpers whistle, echoing James. James turns around as we transition into a flashback of a young James at a dance._

James (voiceover)- **It was the first big dance, and I was excited. Everyone was smiling, everyone was delighted. But then…**

Helpers (voiceover)- **Oh-oh-oh-oh, but then… oh-oh-oh-oh, but then.**

James (voiceover)- **The darkest shadow fell over the room. The heart of the party became its tomb.**

_We see stylized shadows at the door of the dance, and the attendees of the dance cowering in fear._

James (voiceover)- **They swept through the hall, leaving nothing behind. They were laughing and screaming, they were out of their minds. And then they were gone, like they had never been there. But it won't happen again, oh, that, I swear.**

_We see young James standing in the wreckage of the party, going back to him standing in the middle of the current dance room._

James- **So guard the halls and frisk the guests. I'll do anything to keep out those pests. No shortcuts taken, no stone unturned. It's time to show those fools all that I've learned.**

Helpers- **Oh-oh-oh, as you wish. Oh-oh-oh, as you wish.**

_James turns to Will._

Will- So you're worried about some people that wrecked the dance _years_ ago? You really _do_ need to relax, James.

James- You can never be too certain… besides, now that the Whisperer is defeated, what else to I have to focus on?

_Will grits his teeth._

Will- Oh, I don't know. I can't think of a _single thing_ for you to focus on.

_James nods absentmindedly as he pulls out his phone and exits the room. The Head Helper walks up to Will._

HH- Don't worry, sir, he'll come around.

Will- The thing about leaders is… we're not really the patient types.

_He walks off, grumbling to himself. We cut to Charlotte, Hannah, and AJ entering a clothing star. They dump Lauren onto the floor and remove her bonds. Lauren immediately tries to escape, but Emily, Carmen, and some other guards are standing at the doorway and point guns at her._

Hannah- Lauren, you're not getting out of here until we pick out the _perfect_ outfit for the dance.

_Lauren looks to Charlotte for help, but gets nothing. She groans loudly._

Lauren- Let's get this over with.

_Clothing montage time! We see Hannah, Charlotte, Lauren, and AJ dressing up in various outfits. AJ somehow ends up in a tight top and skirt that exposes his midriff, and Hannah laughs as she gives a thumbs down. Lauren chokes in a large frilly dress._

Lauren- Can't… breathe!

_We see Charlotte lacing up Hannah's dress._

Hannah- A little tighter… a little more… a little-

_She suddenly collapses to the ground, and Charlotte ducks down to help her. Lauren wears an extravagant dress covered in fur, and Charlotte grimaces. AJ puts on a sleeveless suit that's way too big for him. Hannah wears a dress with a long, long, trail, and AJ pulls at it for ten seconds before giving up. Eventually, AJ ends up in a navy blue suit, Hannah wears a lavender dress, and Charlotte wears a short light blue dress. They all look towards the dressing room._

Charlotte- Lauren, come out!

_Lauren grumbles and walks out wearing a black suit._

Lauren- Come on, let's get this one over with. I'll go try on dress number 70 now.

AJ- Lauren…

Hannah- It's perfect.

Lauren- You… you think so?

_She quickly readjusts herself._

Lauren- Fine! I guess it'll _have_ to do. At least we're done with all this stupid shopping.

_She walks out, and Hannah looks to Charlotte for translation._

Charlotte- She loves it.

_We cut to a limo pulling up outside James' house. Will gets out, wearing a dark green suit and a black tie. He smells his own breath, straightens his tie, and heads up to the house. He rings the doorbell and leans against the pillar, facing backwards. When he hears the door open, he turns around, clearly ready to use a cheesy pickup line._

Will- Hey, James, what's your-

_His eyes widen as he sees James dressed up in a black suit with a dark green tie. His hair is done nicely, and he's fiddling with his collar._

Will- I…um…

James- Come on, Will. We, uh… we don't wanna be late.

Will- Yes, yes! Let's go.

_Will extends a hand, and James looks at it awkwardly. Will pulls his hand back and nervously gestures for James to walk past him. They both get in the limo._

James- Will… where's everyone else? I thought I was getting picked up last.

Will- Oh, yeah… they, um… there was just a mixup with the rides. It's just you and me in here.

_James narrows his eyes._

James- _Right_. Well, since it'll be quiet, I'll do some last minute emergency planning… just in case they come back.

_He pulls out his phone and starts typing on it. Will looks at James with a forced smile, clicking his tongue in boredom. James is startled when his phone is pulled out of his hand._

James- Will! I need that!

Will- Sorry, it's just… you've, uh, got some hair out of place.

_James flinches as Will touches James' hair._

Will- Hm… what sort of hair gel did you use?

_James flushes as Will plays with his hair._

James- Um… just some natural fiber.

Will- It feels nice.

_James smiles._

James- Did you… did you fix it?

Will- I… I think I just made it worse.

_James snorts with laughter, and Will soon joins him. They laugh together, and we see James' phone forgotten on the seat. We cut to them arriving outside Forrester later._

James- And then I realized I had buried the wrong person in the sandpit! I had to have Charlotte dig them back up!

_Will laughs._

Will- Are you serious?! You didn't mess around in kindergarten, James!

James- Oh, I think we're here.

_He pulls Will's hand until he sees something outside the limo._

James- There… there's not enough guards at the entrance!

_He grabs his phone from the seat, and opens the door._

Will- James, wait, I need to-

_James pulls his hand away from Will's and turns around._

James- Will… we're both leaders of Forrester… it's time we start acting professional.

_Will's eyes widen and his head drops as James walks away. We cut to the inside of the bustling dance. Everyone is having fun and dancing around._

**"The Big Dance- Reprise"**

_We see the dance room at night. Charlotte is intensely DJing. Everyone is enjoying themselves, dancing wildly. James is sitting in the corner, arms crossed and tapping his foot._

Student Group 1- **It's the big dance!**

Students Group 2- **It's the big dance!**

Student Group 1- **It's the bi-ig dance!**

Student Group 2- **It’s the bi-ig dance!**

Students- **We all came through; we took our chance!**

_Music blares as AJ gets above the crowd._

AJ- **We've got lights!**

Students- **Lights!**

AJ- **We've got music!**

Students- **Music!**

AJ and Students- **Oh, it's the best party this side of the lake, so get ready to dance 'til your knees start to ache… it's the big dance!**

_Everyone cheers as Will enters, clearly distraught. Hannah and AJ run over to him._

Hannah- Will! How did it go?

_Will shakes his head and points at James, who is on his phone in the corner._

Will- It's hopeless… he always finds something else to worry about.

AJ- Hey, it's okay. You can come dance with us and Lauren.

_Will shakes his head around a bit and smiles._

Will- Yeah, you're right. I just need to clear my head.

_We see Will, AJ, Hannah, and Lauren on the dance floor. They have fun and do whatever people do at a dance (limbo? I don't even know). James glances up from his phone at them, but Will pays no attention to him. Will gets up above the crowd._

Will- Okay, guys, who's ready to have some real fun?

_The crowd cheers._

Will- Alright, then! It's time to-

_There is a bang at the door. The crowd goes quiet and looks towards the door. The door bursts open and an unconscious guard falls into the room. James' eyes widen and he gestures at the door._

James- Lauren! Deal with them.

_Lauren pulls out a pistol, but a nearby student kicks it out of her hands, grabs it, and runs away._

Will- A mole!

_Charlotte turns off the music and jumps down, preparing to fight. James runs up to the others._

James- I told you, Will! This is _exactly_ what I warned you about!

Will- We can handle them.

**"Party Crashers"**

_Threatening dubstep begins to play. Everyone's head turn sharply towards the entrance where figures clothed in black advance into the party._

James- It's them!

_A single figure emerges from the group of party crashers and begins to sing extremely robotically_

Head Crasher (HC)- **This party's really lively, let's bring it down a notch. You were having such a good time, you forgot to keep out watch. So now we're here and ready to smash up this whole joint. To wreck it, end it, decimate, I think you get our point.**

Will- Leave this party at once! You are not welcome here!

_The crashes spread out across the room._

HC- **You can't stop us now, you were through from the start! You should've tried to keep us out, you should've been more smart! We're gonna crash this party and there's nothing you can do. But before all this is over, let's introduce ourselves to you… who are we?**

Party Crashers (PC)- **We are party crashers, coming through! We are party crashers… ruining it for you! We are party crashers, wrecking the vibe! We are party crashers, too nasty to describe!**

James- Oh no, oh no! I knew this one happen.

_One crasher walks over to the punch pitcher._

Crasher 1- **Oh wow, it really looks like you're enjoying this punch. Well too bad, losers, 'cause now it's just my lunch!**

_He chugs the entire pitcher. Another crasher walks over to the DJ._

Crasher 2- **I can't believe you're really playing trash music like this. Let's take a sec to fix that… ah, pure bliss.**

_As he sings, he unplugs the DJ's stand, shutting down the music. Another crasher walks over to people playing the limbo._

Crasher 3- **Ah, of course, the limbo. It's such a classic game. But if we just get rid of it, this party gets more lame.**

_She chucks the limbo bar out of the window. HC gets in James and Will's faces._

HC- **This party is over, you ain't got jack. We've killed the big dance dead, and you can't bring it back. I was never one for parties so I take it out on you. If I can't enjoy them then you can’t too!**

_Bass drop as the crashers go wild, dancing around and wrecking snacks, breaking apart people dancing._

HC- **So tear down the lights and stop the dancing. It's beautiful, it's just entrancing… to see a party fall apart and know that it was you! It's my calling, it's my job, it's what I always loved to do.**

_The party crashers group up once again and perform a dance._

PC- **We are party crashers, coming through! We are party crashers… ruining it for you! We are party crashers, wrecking the vibe! We are party crashers, too nasty to describe!**

HC- **Party crashers! Coming through-ough-ough! Party crashers! Ruining it for you-ou-ou!**

_Dramatic beats as the crashers strike various poses._

HC- **Who are we?**

PC- **We are party crashers!**

_The crashers strike a final dramatic pose._

HC- Okay, okay. This party's done, so file out!

James- I knew it, I knew it. I couldn't do anything… I failed.

Will- Come on, James. What can we do?

James- Nothing. The party's already ruined.

_HC laughs._

HC- Oh, I love-

**"Our Night"**

_A guitar rings out through the crowd. Everyone parts to reveal Lauren facing down the Crashers._

Lauren- **You… ain't got no right to be in here. You… should start to be filling with fear. You… need to leave this dance right now. Cause you're doing something that we won't allow!**

_She rocks on her guitar for a bit. Will and Charlotte start to shake themselves out of it and join her._

Lauren- **Cause this is our night!**

Will and Charlotte- **Our night!**

Lauren- **Cause this is our night!**

Will and Charlotte- **Our ni-i-i-i-ight!**

Lauren, Will, and Charlotte- **And we… we've got a right to party and dance and take a chance!**

_AJ and Hannah leap up._

Hannah- **You… can't make us not have a good time.**

AJ- **You… can't get away with this crime.**

Charlotte- **You…are just a bunch of sad losers.**

Will- **And we… we're gonna stop you abusers.**

_They turn towards the crowd._

Lauren, Will, Charlotte, Hannah, and AJ- **Cause this is our night!**

Students- **Our night!**

Lauren, Will, Charlotte, Hannah, and AJ- **Cause this is our night!**

Students- **Our ni-i-i-i-ight.**

Everyone (except James)- **And we… we've got a right to party and dance and take a chance!**

_Will turns towards James and beckons him to come up, but he refuses._

Lauren- **Oh, this is our night**!

Charlotte- **Oh, this is our night!**

AJ- **Oh, this is our night!**

Hannah- **Oh, this is our night!**

Will- **Oh, this is our night!**

_James finally relents and takes Will's hand, getting onstage._

James- **This is our night!**

_They all strike a dramatic pose. James stands up, glaring at HC._

James- You all need to leave _now_. You're not welcome at this party.

HC- Oh, yeah? What are you going to do?

_James is silent, but Will steps forward. He snaps his fingers, and Charlotte gets back on the stage and starts DJing again. Will keeps snapping his fingers, and begins to dance towards the HC._

HC- What do you think you're doing.

_Will says nothing and keeps dancing. AJ and Hannah get the gist and start dancing as well. AJ does the worm and Hannah dances with Will._

HC- Fine, then! If it's a fight you want, it's a fight you'll get!

_He gestures to the Crashers, and the dance off begins. Lauren joins in and dances among the Crashers while still punching them and knocking them out. AJ gets up, and Will hands Hannah off to him. He walks over to James, extending a hand. James looks up at Will, and he winks._

Will- Don't worry, it's completely professional.

_Will smiles, and James smiles back. James takes Will's hand, and they dance together. James dips Will, and AJ twirls Hannah. Lauren is still on her own, and takes a Crasher, spinning him around and throwing her offscreen. The Crashers dance more intensely, the dubstep growing louder. Charlotte intensely DJs some more, her music growing louder. Crashers start collapsing due to the sheer fabulousness of the gang's dancing._

Crasher- I can't! They're… they're too fabulous.

_HC dances more, but he is eventually the last one standing._

HC- I will not break! This party will be crashed!

_He yells at James and Will, but they don't notice him as they dance._

HC- You hear me! You're not gonna beat me! Listen to me!

_Will spins James out then pulls him back in. He looks up at HC, who is on the floor._

Will- What happened to him?

James- I… I didn't see.

_They look around at the party, which is still wrecked._

Will- The party… it's still wrecked.

James- No…

_Will looks to James._

James- The decorations and the food are wrecked… but the party can still go on.

_Will smiles._

Will- Alright, everyone! Let's get these losers out of here, and then this dance is back on!

_Everyone cheers, and Charlotte plays some more party music. We see some fun shots of the gang transporting Crashers out of the building. Then we cut to everyone dancing. James is walking around the dance floor when Will comes from nowhere, sweeping him into a dance._

Will- We were pretty amazing out there, weren't we?

_James starts to smile, but his face falls._

James- Yeah… I guess.

Will- What's wrong? We just saved this party, James.

_His hands shift around James, and James seems a bit uncomfortable._

James- Will… I'm sorry for being so anxious about the dance.

_Will looks at him eagerly._

Will- And?

James- _But_ … I'm still sticking to what I said. We need to act professionally. We have a long road ahead of reorganizing Forrester and Woodsworth, and we can't afford to be distracted.

Will- James, you don't distract me.

_James raises an eyebrow._

Will- Okay, maybe a little bit. But what you really do is… you make me better. I feel like I can just _do more_ when I'm around you.

_James sighs._

**"Dip Your Toe- Reprise"**

James- **I'm a leader. You're a leader. It just wouldn't work.**

_Will begins to sway from side to side, leading James around the dance floor._

Will- **Dip your toe in the water, it's easy as pie. What's the worst that could happen, just try! Don't be afraid of rejection…**

AJ and Hannah- **Dip your toe…**

Will- **Just give it a shot. I know that you're feeling nervous.**

Charlotte and Lauren- **Dip your toe…**

Will- **But would you rather be with me or not?**

Charlotte, Lauren, AJ, and Hannah- **Oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo, dip your toe…**

_AJ, Hannah, Charlotte, and Lauren keep singing that line repeatedly as Will and James speak._

Will- I'm just asking for one chance, James. All my life, I've been seeking power, but I've finally found the one thing I really want. I want to follow you anywhere you go. I always want to be by your side.

_He looks at James, who is clearly shocked._

Charlotte, Lauren, AJ, and Hannah- **Oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo-oo, dip your toe…**

_James finally speaks._

James- **I've been holding back…**

_Will repeats him, his eyes eager._

Will- **You've been holding back…**

James- **For so long.**

Charlotte, Lauren, AJ, and Hannah- **Dip your toe.**

James- **I was afraid of my heart…**

Will- **You were afraid of your heart…**

James- **But I was hooked from the start.**

Charlotte, Lauren, AJ, and Hannah- **Dip your toe.**

James- **Falling for you was never something I planned.**

Will- **But now this feeling is more than I can stand.**

Charlotte, Lauren, AJ, and Hannah- **Dip your toe, dip your toe.**

James and Will- **I thought I could handle, but it's just too much. Lightning bolts with every touch.**

James- **I'm not holding back.**

Will- **Are you ready, ready?**

James- **I'm not holding back.**

Will- **Are you ready, ready?**

Charlotte, Lauren, AJ, and Hannah- **You're not holding back, you're not holding back, you're not holding back, you're not holding back.**

_Hard cut to white. When we fade back, James and Will dance in quiet satisfaction and we see them share an kiss._

James and Will- **Dip your toe…in… the water…**

_End episode_


	40. Tribes of the Valley S1E1

**Episode One: Novi Anni**

Synopsis: Lupa recruits Charlie to help stop a string of Nightfeather attacks.

_We open on some shots of Ashmount in the fall, all the schools experiencing the season in full force. We pan across the lake and past the forest, down into the valley, where Charlie walking in the small town near Maple Valley. He whistles as he strolls down the leaf-colored lanes, until he is startled by a voice from offscreen._

Lupa- Charlie!

_She runs in, giving him a hug._

Charlie- Long time no see, Lupa.

Lupa- Ah, you've gotten taller over the summer!

_She stands up straight, making sure she still outclasses him in height._

Lupa- Eh, you've still got a ways to go.

Charlie- Hey, I'm the tallest out of all my Sunlions!

Lupa- That's right, you're a leader now!

Charlie- Now that I've got my own tribe, I'm not the odd one out anymore.

Lupa- How did Richard take it?

Charlie- Well, we dueled during the summer, so there wasn't anyone around to see it. At least he didn't embarrass himself in front of a crowd.

Lupa- Truth be told, he was always kind of a stick in the mud. Guess that's why we all hang out with you instead of him.

Charlie- You mean besides my devilish good looks?

_Lupa laughs._

Lupa- That, too! I think some of my Redclaws have crushes on you!

Charlie- Don't think that'll make me go easy on them.

_Lupa rolls her eyes._

Lupa- Oh, please. You Lions barely gained any territory last year.

_Charlie starts to reply but is interrupted by a booming voice._

Amaru- My friends!

Lupa- Amaru!

_Charlie and Lupa both run over to him, and he rustles Charlie's hair._

Amaru- Charlie, Lulu, good to see you!

_Lupa punches him in the arm._

Lupa- I thought we firmly decided _against_ calling me Lulu.

_Amaru chuckles and pulls out a bag._

Amaru- I brought presents!

Lupa- Don't try to distract me…

_A pause, then Lupa tries to grab the bag and Amaru grabs it back._

Amaru- No peeking, Lupa!

_He pulls out a sword that's definitely too massive for the bag and hands it to Lupa._

Lupa- Amaru! It's perfect!

_Amaru feigns offense._

Amaru- Why are you acting so surprised? I always have great taste!

_He pulls out two hatchets and tosses them to Charlie._

Amaru- Some weapons for the new leader in town.

Charlie- You might regret giving me these once they're shoved in your face.

_Amaru laughs._

Amaru- I'd like to see you try, Little Lion.

Charlie- Oh, great, now I've got a nickname.

Karasu- Um, where's my present?

_Amaru, Lupa, and Charlie quickly turn around to look at Karasu, startled._

Lupa- Gah! Where did you come from, Karasu?

_Karasu shrugs and gestures to Amaru._

Karasu- The goods, Amaru?

_Amaru pulls out a giant mace and tosses it to them. Karasu eyes it disgustedly._

Karasu- Not really my style.

Charlie- You could say thank you.

Amaru- I just thought it would help you build up some sorely needed muscle mass.

_Karasu growls_

Karasu- I'll treasure it, thanks.

_They toss the mace aside._

Karasu- Also, not that I care or anything, but they both got nicknames.

_Amaru ponders._

Amaru- We could call you Su!

_Lupa and Charlie burst out laughing._

Karasu- Ugh, that's ridiculous.

Charlie- Oh, you're one to talk. What's that thing you started calling everyone? Little birds?

_Karasu flushes._

Karasu- That's different! That makes me sound _cool_!

Lupa- Oh, sure.

Karasu- Oh, shut up, Lupa! You're the one that texted me over the summer at 3 in the morning about some rom-com I've never heard of!

Lupa- _My Boyfriend's Boyfriend's Girlfriend?_ That movie was a _treasure_!

_She runs at Karasu, ready to destroy them. Amaru pushes them apart._

Amaru- That's enough, you two. No fighting off campus, remember.

_Karasu growls and disappears in a cloud of smoke. As soon as they reappear, however, Charlie wraps his ribbon around them and pulls them, putting an arm around their shoulder._

Charlie- _Anyway_ … how was everyone's summer?

Lupa- The Redclaw boot camp went well… we've got this transfer student named Rita. She's a handful, but she's got a heck of a swing.

Karasu- My dad took me _fishing_.

Lupa- Ha! Bet you didn't even catch a tadpole.

Karasu- Oh, yeah?

_They take a fish out of their pocket and throw it at Lupa._

Lupa- Ew!

Charlie- How long were you keeping that in your pocket for?

Amaru- And more importantly, _why_?

_A moment of silence as everyone stares at Karasu, who wriggles out of Charlie's arm._

Karasu- So, uh… what did you do, Amaru?

_Amaru relaxes._

Amaru- My whole family met up in Peru, and somehow _I_ got stuck with all the cousins. It's fine, though. The little ones love me.

_Everyone turns to Charlie expectedly. He shrugs._

Charlie- Eh. I just kinda chilled out.

Amaru- You're a leader now, Little Lion.

Lupa- You've gotta start doing stuff for your tribe. All of us already run boot camps.

Karasu- Guess Notch isn't really up to the challenge.

Charlie- Relax, _Su._

_Karasu flushes and slaps his shoulder._

Charlie- Anyways, I thought the Lions could use a break. Richard used to run us ragged when he was in charge, and look where that got us.

Lupa- Got that right! My Aunt Gianna couldn't even fit in the territory you guys have left.

Charlie- Speaking of which… you didn't try to change the territory markers again, did you, Karasu?

Karasu- Of course not!

_Charlie raises an eyebrow, and Karasu casts their eyes down._

Karasu- The tape was too strong for me to remove.

_Amaru laughs._

Amaru- Besides, those markers will soon be outdated. The Jadebiters will take the school this year, I know it! Plus, we've got a new recruit!

Lupa- Oh?

Amaru- You all know the famous warrior that went to Maple Valley years ago? Mr. Garcia?

Karasu- Of course. He led my tribe.

Amaru- Well, I found out his son was attending this year, and I managed to convince him to join the Biters!

Charlie- What?

Lupa- Unfair! I expected more from you, Amaru.

Amaru- I'm touched, Lupa, but I'm looking to win just as much as the rest of you. With the young Garcia on my side, we'll be sure to win.

Karasu- Ha! My Nightfeathers will take all of you down before you even know it.

_Charlie and Lupa look at each other._

Lupa- Looks like not much has changed from last year.

_Charlie chuckles before he notices that as they've been talking, they've reached the last stair into the Maple Valley courtyard. Amaru and Karasu cease their arguing as they notice, and look towards the school, where skirmishes are already raging._

Charlie- On three?

_Amaru and Karasu nod._

Lupa- Or you could just _go_!

_She pushes Charlie into the courtyard and immediately pulls out her weapons, swiping her spear at him._

Charlie- No fair!

_Karasu grabs Amaru and disappears in a cloud of smoke, reappearing in the courtyard. They both pull out their weapons and start fighting. Charlie looks for an opening in Lupa's shield and eventually grabs her leg with his ribbon, trying to trip her up. She laughs and pulls her leg back, pulling Charlie to the ground._

Lupa- Get a _real_ weapon, Ribbon Boy.

_She thrusts her spear, but it is knocked aside by a sword. Charlie looks up to see Richard in front of him._

Charlie- Hey, Richie.

Richard- Fear not, sir. I am here to-

_He is knocked aside with a groan by Lupa, flying offscreen._

Charlie- Hey!

Lupa- He's fine.

Richard (offscreen)- I'm really not!  


Lupa- Walk it off!

_Karasu clashes with Amaru as he tries to get a shot off. He finally manages to fire, but Karasu jumps over it. They look at him._

Amaru- Okay, fine, that was cool!

Karasu- Right?

_Karasu does a bird call and a couple Nightfeathers appear around Amaru. They leap at him, but he throws down a vial, poison fog spreading. When the cloud clears, he is gone._

Karasu- Hey! I'm the only one allowed to do that!

_A Nightfeather walks over to them, taking off his hood to reveal Xander. He signs at Karasu._

Xander- Let's go, Karasu. We need to secure our borders.

_Karasu nods, and they all disappear in a cloud of smoke. Charlie dodges Lupa's spear as he swings from tree to tree, but an axe is swung at him, knocking him to the ground. Charlie looks up as Rita stands by Lupa._

Rita- _This_ is the new leader, Lupa?

Lupa- He's not much, but he'll give you a fight.

_Charlie winces as he stands up._

Charlie- Rita, I assume?

Rita- Did my looks give me away?

Charlie- Your hefty swing, actually.

_Lupa yells out, and more Redclaws come to her aid. Richard gets to his feet._

Richard- Um… sir?

Charlie- I'd… like to leave now.

Lupa- I thought you might.

_She gestures for her soldiers to run after them, and we cut to Charlie and Richard arriving at the Sunlion base, panting. Charlie looks up at the lions._

Charlie- Welcome to the new year, y'all!

_We cut to Amaru sitting in his throne as some Jadebiter guards arrive._

Biter- Amaru… the new recruit is here.

Amaru- Wonderful! Dramatic entrance music, please!

_The Biter guards play music as Amaru makes a booming speech._

Amaru- Julio Garcia! Years ago, your father was a champion of the Valley! But now, his son will join the war on right side of history! Join the Biters, and rise as one of our mightiest warriors!

_The music blares as Julio Garcia stumbles in. He is tiny and clearly confused._

Julio- Um… I think there's been a mistake.

_A Biter Guard leans in towards Amaru._

Biter- My lord… he doesn't seem like he'll be-

Amaru- Silence!

_He stands up and walks towards Julio._

Amaru- Do not be so quick to judge young Garcia here! Little one… are you a warrior like your father?

Julio- No! I'm not!

_Amaru laughs._

Amaru- Ha! He's humble, too!

_He tosses Julio his bow and gestures for his guard to hold up a small hoop._

Amaru- Show us your skills, Julio! Take the shot!

Julio- Please don't make me-

_Amaru slaps his back._

Amaru- Less talking, more shooting, recruit!

_Julio struggles to aim the bow and fires. He slips up, shooting the arrow square into a guard, making him start gagging from the poison._

Julio- Sorry!

_The crowd of Biters look at him and start to boo._

Biter- You aren't a warrior!

Biter- Get him out of here!

_Julio's eyes widen and he runs away._

Amaru- Wait!

_He runs after him and finds him in the hallway._

Julio- I'm sorry, okay! I tried to tell you guys, I'm not a warrior like my dad! I can't-

_Amaru pats him on the shoulder._

Amaru- Worry not, young Garcia.

Julio- What? But I can't-

Amaru- You have the potential… I see it in you. You can be as great as your father… greater, even.

Julio- You… you think so?

Amaru- Oh, yes. I will train you, Julio Garcia. Are you willing to give what it will take?

_Amaru looks down at Julio, who is clearly in awe._

Julio- Yes! I can do it, sir, I promise!

Amaru- Please, call me Amaru.

_He turns back towards Biter headquarters._

Julio- But the other Jadebiters, they'll-

Amaru- Not to worry, young Garcia. They all answer to me. You'll be fine.

_He leads Julio back into headquarters, and we cut to Lupa lounging, having grapes fed to her as she watches a gladiator battle._

Lupa- Okay, I like it, but what if Katie died and Peter got together with John instead?

Redclaw- But the story's kind of been building to-

_Lupa slams her fist down._

Lupa- Let me have my ship! Make it happen!

Redclaw- Of course, ma'am.

Lupa- And STAY IN CHARACTER!

_A Redclaw guard approaches Lupa._

Guard- Lupa-

_Lupa whirls around._

Lupa- I'm trying to enjoy some quality entertainment here! What is it?

_We cut to Lupa observing some knocked out Redclaws. A black feather sits on top of their bodies. She growls._

Lupa- Nightfeathers… but how?

Guard- I don't know, Lupa. This is too deep into our territory… the guards would have spotted them.

_Another Redclaw runs up to them._

Redclaw- Lupa! There's been a Nightfeather attack near-

_Lupa holds up a hand._

Lupa- Record my entertainment for later and keep my popcorn under guard.

_She turns to the Redclaw._

Lupa- We need some help.

_We cut to Charlie and the Sunlions._

Charlie- Okay, so let's just have some fun this year. Maybe tomorrow we can start trying to take back some territory in the-

_There's a crash as Lupa and Rita stroll in, walking over newly unconscious Sunlions._

Rita- Sup, losers.

Richard- What is the meaning of this? Sir, say the word and I'll-

_Charlie looks at Richard exasperatedly._

Charlie- Richard, go organize the weapons by color or something.

_Sputtering, Richard walks away. Charlie walks towards Lupa._

Charlie- What do y'all need?

_Rita raises her axe._

Rita- You're going to-

_She falls to the ground as Charlie raises his ribbon._

Charlie- You caught me by surprise last time, miss. It won't happen again.

_He turns to Lupa._

Charlie- So, you need my services?

Lupa- You're sure willing to work with the enemy, aren't you?

_Charlie puts an arm around Lupa._

Charlie- Ah, Lupa, I'm always willing to help a friend!  


_He pulls over a map with his ribbon._

Charlie- Plus… we haven't talked payment yet.

_Rita angrily gets up._

Rita- Payment! If you don't help us, we'll-

_She immediately falls again with a flick of Charlie's wrist._

Lupa- Fine, then. How much land do you want?

Charlie- First, let's hear the job.

_He beckons her, and they walk away._

Lupa- You really need to up your guards, by the way. It was way too easy to get in here.

Charlie- Ugh, Amaru gave all the new recruits poisoned snacks. Guess they learned his deal the hard way.

_They both laugh as Rita scrambles to her feet, looking at Richard._

Rita- Your _leader_ is so annoying!

_For a second, Richard drops the façade._

Richard- Tell me about it.

_Lupa and Charlie walk back, laughing._

Charlie- Okay, y'all! Looks like we have a deal!

Richard- But sir-

Charlie- Relax, we're getting a decent amount of territory out of it. In return, Lupa wants to employ my _excellent_ tracking skills.

Richard- Very well, sir. When do we-

Charlie- _I_ leave immediately. You shore up the defenses.

_Richard starts to talk, but bows._

Richard- As you wish.

_As Lupa, Charlie, and Rita walk out, we see a planted walkie talkie. Amaru and Julio listen on the other end._

Amaru- Perfect…

_He turns to Julio._

Amaru- Ready for your first lesson?

_We cut to Lupa and Charlie observing Rita from behind cover._

Rita- What am I doing out here again?

Charlie- Um… you're the lookout.

_He turns to Lupa._

Charlie- Okay, so she's the bait.

Lupa- We need bait? I thought you were supposed to be a great tracker.

Charlie- Ugh, I found _one_ spy and Richard just made it this huge thing and-

Lupa- So what I'm hearing is that you don't actually have any skills.

_Charlie elbows Lupa._

Charlie- You're the one that asked for my help, Lupa.

Lupa- Well, your payment is contingent on you actually being _helpful_.

Rita- Guys! I think I see-

_A yell echoes out as Charlie and Lupa poke their heads out to see Rita being dragged away by Nightfeathers. Their eyes widen, and they look at each other, silently communicating. They duck around corners to follow the Nightfeathers as they drag Rita away. Eventually, they reach a wall, pressing a tile to open up a massive tunnel._

Lupa- Tunnels?

Charlie- I knew Karasu would be up to something during the summer.

_The tunnel starts to close, and Charlie and Lupa rush in. Charlie wraps his ribbon around a pipe in the ceiling, pulling himself and Lupa up as they crawl after the Feathers._

Lupa- We need to rescue Rita now!

Charlie- Give it time, Lupa. We need to shut down these tunnels.

_They eventually reach the end of the tunnel, getting out before it closes. They look around for Rita, eventually spotting her unconscious body no longer being carried._

Charlie- Where's-

_Suddenly, the Nightfeathers that were carrying her leap from the shadow, attacking the pair. Charlie and Lupa quickly knock them both out and rush over to Rita, shaking her awake._

Lupa- Come on, Rita, we've got to-

Karasu- Got to what?

_They all look towards Karasu as they emerge from the shadows, grinning._

Charlie- Uh, we were just on our way.

_He turns back to the tunnel, but it's closed._

Karasu- Do you even know where you are, little birds?

Lupa- Wow, they still _really_ think that's cool.

_Karasu grimaces but ignores her._

Karasu- You're deep within Nightfeather territory.

Charlie- Whatever, _Su_. We can take you.

Karasu- Maybe, but it doesn't matter. Because birds of a feather… stick together.

_More lights come on to reveal a whole host of Nightfeathers waiting behind Karasu. Charlie and Lupa roll their eyes._

Charlie- Really, Karasu? Were you thinking of that one all day?

_Karasu growls._

Karasu- Shut up, Notch! Get them!

_Rita stirs awake._

Rita- What's going on?

_She screams as she sees the army of Nightfeathers._

Rita- Notch, what did you do?!

_The charging Feathers are interrupted by the tunnel opening._

Karasu- What?

_An army of Jadebiters charges through, Amaru and Julio at the front._

Amaru- Ah, thank you for leading us into Nightfeather territory! Now we've got all of you in one place.

_Karasu yells and jumps towards him. Charlie and Lupa look at each other nervously._

Charlie- I can take out fifty of them if you match me.

_Rita takes out an enemy behind Charlie._

Rita- Watch yourself!

Charlie- Aw, but you're doing such a good job!

_He is forced to duck as Rita swings over his head to take out an enemy. We see Amaru and Karasu clashing. Amaru is clearly not taking it seriously._

Amaru- Really, Karasu? You spent all summer making these tunnels and you waste them on a few attacks?

_Karasu growls as they knock Amaru's bow from his hands._

Karasu- It'll be _worth_ it when I take all of you out in one swoop!

_Amaru pulls out two knives and tosses one to Julio._

Amaru- Okay, start learning!

Julio- What?

Amaru- Experience is the best teacher!

_Julio closes his eyes and rushes at Karasu, catching them by surprise._

Amaru- Nice one, young Garcia.

Karasu- Ah… so you're Amaru's new _mighty warrior._

_They rush at Julio, quickly knocking the knife from his hand._

Karasu- Hm… not quite as good as your father, are you?

_Julio yells and jumps on them, pulling on their hair._

Karasu- Hey!

_They're knocked off by an arrow from Amaru, and they double over from the poison._

Amaru- Feeling sick, Karasu?

_Karasu hurls several daggers at Amaru. As he dodge them, Julio is cut off and they are separated. Rita and Lupa are taking down enemy after enemy, but they just keep coming. Lupa is knocked to the ground, but she is pulled out of danger by Charlie._

Charlie- You're welcome.

Lupa- That was nice, but this is a free-for-all now!  


_She swipes at him with her spear as he leaps back._

Charlie- Hey, I thought we were working together!

_She swats him out the air with her shield and he lands with a thud. She points her spear down at him._

Lupa- Looks like I might not have to pay you after all.

_Before she strikes, she is knocked back. Charlie looks up to see Richard and some other Sunlions._

Charlie- Richard!

Richard- Thought you could use my help, sir.

Charlie- Keep Lupa in one piece… we need our payment.

_Richard nods and the Sunlions charge into battle. Lupa shakes off and rushes towards Charlie and Richard. They nod at each other and fight in perfect synchronization. Richard parries all her strikes, and Charlie eventually gets his ribbon around her leg. He pulls to no effect, but Richard helps him, sending Lupa crashing to the ground. She growls as she stands up and fights away from them._

Charlie- Nice one, Richie!

_He goes for a handshake, and Richard hesitantly shakes it._

Richard- Um… you as well, sir.

_We see Rita confronted by Xander._

Rita- Trust me, you've never felt a swing like mine!  


_Pause._

Rita- What, no words for me?

Xander- I am mute, you ignorant barbarian. By the way, you have several unidentified stains on your shirt.

Rita- Don't throw gang signs at me!

_She runs at him, and he fights her with his bare hands, flipping her across the room. We see Amaru fighting across the battlefield._

Amaru- Julio! Young Garcia!

_Rita is pushed next to him as Karasu and Xander approach. Karasu is clutching their stomach, but they still are still wielding their blade._

Rita- Come on! We can take them!

Amaru- Of course…

_He turns around and shoots at her. She rolls aside just in time._

Rita- Hey! Work with me here!

_Amaru, Rita, and Karasu and Xander engage in a three way battle. Xander catches an arrow._

Xander- You're weak, arrow man.

Amaru- Well, that's just hurtful.

_Rita struggles with Karasu by Amaru._

Rita- Don't listen to him! He's part of some gang!

_Xander rolls his eyes and abandons Amaru to go after Rita. Amaru laughs in relief before turning around to see Karasu leaping towards him._

Karasu- I'm taking _one_ of you out today!

_They clash across the room as Karasu laughs._

Karasu- You should have used a more potent poison, Amaru!

Amaru- That can be arranged.

_He fires a few arrows as Karasu flips through the air._

Amaru- You're still available on Sunday, right?

Karasu- Ugh, start taking this _seriously_!

_They slash at Amaru, but double over in pain. Amaru grins._

Amaru- Oh, wait, I think I _did_ use a potent poison. Just a little delay.

Karasu- No, no, no!

_They groan in pain and writhe on the ground as Amaru whistles._

Amaru- Okay, move out, Jadebiters!

_The Jadebiters retreat, and Xander is left fighting Rita. He knocks her to the ground, raising his hand to strike._

Lupa- Hey!

_He turns just in time to be smacked across the room by Lupa._

Lupa- Rita! Get up!

Rita- Ugh… thanks, boss.

_Lupa helps her up, and they turn around just in time to fall to the ground, revealing Charlie and Richard behind them. The boys immediately start tying them up._

Lupa- Charlie! Come on!

_Charlie whistles as he binds her arms and legs._

Lupa- Um… this is sexist?

Charlie- Nuh-uh. You don't get to play the women card after you slapped a guy across the room.

_They look up to see the Nightfeathers gathering. Xander helps Karasu up._

Xander- You ableist demon-woman.

Richard- Time to go now, sir.

_They grab Lupa and Rita and run away with the other Sunlions as the Nightfeathers chase after them. They open up the tunnel quickly as some Sunlions hold the others off, then rush through, closing the tunnel behind them. Charlie smashes the keypad on the inside of the tunnel before slipping through._

Lupa- Whew!

_She looks down, remembering that she's tied up._

Lupa- Oh.

Charlie- Okay, Richard… release the ladies.

Rita- What?

Richard- We're men of honor, ladies.

Charlie- We made a deal, and we're going to keep it.

_Richard unties Lupa and Rita._

Lupa- Maybe you're not all bad, Richard. You should have hung out with us more when you were a leader.

Richard- Well, ah… I tried, but you called me… what was it? Ah, a stuck-up little kitten boy.

Lupa- Whaaaaaaat, nooooooo. That doesn't sound like something _I_ would say.

_Rita snickers._

Lupa- It is pretty funny, isn't it?

_Richard rolls his eyes and puts his hand on Charlie's back, escorting him out. Charlie throws a glance back to the girls._

Charlie- We're still taking our payment, by the way.

Lupa- Of course, of course.

Charlie- With fifty percent interest, of course!

_Lupa scrambles up._

Lupa- What!

_Charlie's voice echoes down the hallways._

Charlie- You're welcome!

_Lupa appears disgruntled, but turns to Rita._

Lupa- Come on, let's get back to base.

_The two ladies walk away. We cut to blackness, but then the world comes into focus as Julio opens his eyes._

Julio- Wha… what?

_Whispering voices flit around him. He looks up, terrified, to see a small room with a high ceiling, Nightfeathers walking around in niches and shelves at every level. He's startled by a figure appearing in front of him._

Karasu- Hello there, little bird.

_End episode._


	41. Tribes of the Valley S1E2

**Episode Two: Gongai Wamra**

Synopsis: Amaru and Charlie try to track down Julio, and Lupa hosts some honored guests.

_We open on Lupa driving to school, Charlie sitting next to her._

Charlie- Wait… so what's this new show you've been watching?

Lupa- Ugh, how many times do I have to explain it!? So basically, they take two people and they plug their ears and then they have to go on dates but they can't hear each other so they come up with all these fun ways to communicate! Like, there was this one time that-

_Lupa's phone rings, and she groans and picks it up._

Lupa- Can you not right now, Amaru? I'm trying to explain _Love is Deaf_ to Charlie and-

_She pauses as Amaru talks on the phone. She eyes Charlie._

Lupa- Right now? We're on the way to school.

_Another pause._

Lupa- Fine, if you insist.

_She hangs up._

Charlie- What was that all about? Calls with Amaru usually last longer than that.

Lupa- Open your door, Charlie.

Charlie- Excuse me? Lupa, you're driving.

Lupa- Just do it, it'll be fun!  


_Charlie hesitates, and Lupa whacks him in the head._

Lupa- Do it!

Charlie- I'm doing it, I'm doing it!

_He opens his door a crack, and Lupa reaches over with one hand, unbuckling Charlie's seatbelt._

Charlie- Lupa, don't you care about seatbelt safet-

_Before he can finish, Lupa pushes him out of the car. He screams before realizing that he's been caught by Amaru on the sidewalk. Lupa slams the door shut and drives away._

Charlie- What the…

Amaru- Charlie! So glad you showed up!

_Charlie gets up, grumbling._

Charlie- Not like I had a choice. There had to be an easier way to do that!

_Amaru shrugs._

Amaru- I mean, that's like the fifth or sixth time Lupa's pushed you out of a moving vehicle.

Charlie- Yeah, but usually I'm game for it. Today, I kinda wanted to hear about this show-

Amaru- Okay, okay. I'll make Lupa apologize later.

Charlie- You better. So what did you pull me out of the car for?

Amaru- I need your help to track someone down.

_Charlie throws up his hands._

Charlie- _Why_ does everyone think I'm an expert tracker all of a sudden?

Amaru- Well, can you help me?

Charlie- Probably. I may not be a tracker, but I'm still pretty amazing. Who's missing?

Amaru- Well, you remember me telling about the young Garcia coming this year, don't you?

_Charlie snorts._

Charlie- What, your 'elite recruit' already got captured?

Amaru- We don't know that! Nobody's heard from him at all. He could just be lost!

Charlie- Okay, okay. If it means that much to you, I'll help out.

Amaru- How much will you be wanting for your services?

Charlie- Nah, I'll do this one for free. Every new kid gets their grace period.

_Amaru breathes._

Amaru- Ugh, thanks, Charlie.

Charlie- Eh, it's nothing. I'll take you through the Lion entrance once we get to school and we can make a plan.

_Amaru crushes Charlie with a hug._

Amaru- Don't tell the others, but this is why you're my favorite.

_Charlie rolls his eyes but smiles._

Charlie- Love you too, buddy. Now can we get to school?

_Amaru drops him and they keep walking. We cut to Julio waking up startled in a barred niche of a wall._

Julio- What? Where…where am I?

_He bangs on the bars and yells to the dark expanse in front of him._

Julio- Hey! Let me out of here!

_Some Nightfeathers turn their heads towards him, but ignore him. Xander drops down onto the niche, pointing at Julio and signing._

Xander- Hey, can you quiet down a little? Didn't you go to the prisoner etiquette lesson?

Julio- Um, I kinda missed it. You know, because I was kidnapped!

Xander- You're indignant for a newbie.

Julio- Amaru will be worried sick about me! He'll come find me, you'll see!

_A voice calls from offscreen._

Karasu- Xander… that's enough.

_Karasu drops down, tossing a knife up and down._

Julio- You… you're that person from the battle. The one that got their butt kicked by Amaru!

_Karasu growls and grabs the bar._

Karasu- He did _not_. Amaru's weak, and soon, his whole tribe will be gone.

Julio- Pf! Oh, please. Once he gets me out of here, we'll take all of you down together.

_Karasu scoffs._

Karasu- Well, it's a good thing that he'll never get you out of here.

Julio- He's coming for me.

Karasu- Is not.

Julio- Is too.

Karasu- Is not!

Julio- Is too!

_He grabs a hidden knife from his belt and throws it at Karasu. They grab it in front of their face, clearly startled. Julio is clearly also surprised by his own ability. Karasu throws the dagger over their shoulder._

Karasu- Xander… keep a better eye on the prisoner.

_Karasu walks away, looking over their shoulder curiously at Julio as he slouches back in his cell. We cut to Lupa and Rita sparring in Redclaw territory._

Lupa- So, were you impressed by the other tribal leaders yesterday?

_Rita rolls her eyes as she dodges Lupa's swing._

Rita- They weren't much to write home about. Now that you've got my help, taking this school should be a piece of cake.

Lupa- I don't know… they kind of beat both of us.

Rita- That was Charlie… he's a little different.

_Lupa raises an eyebrow._

Lupa- Oh?

Rita- Not like that, Lupa!

Lupa- Oh, I can see it now! This has novel potential! Forbidden lovers, separated by the confines of tribal conflict!  


_She drops her spear and grabs her notebook, writing down the idea. Rita throws her axe, knocking the notebook out of Lupa's hands._

Lupa- Hey! This could be my big break with the publishers!

Rita- What we _need_ to be doing is formulating a plan of attack.

Lupa- Ugh, _fine._ Let's get to-

_She is interrupted by a bird flying into the room, deposits a scroll into Lupa's hands._

Lupa- A message!

Rita- We do bird messages here?

_Lupa unfurls the scroll and gasps, tossing it aside._

Lupa- Gasp! A twist!

Rita- What is it?

Lupa- The Redclaw Council… they're coming to visit.

_Lupa gestures at the surrounding Redclaws and they all gasp. Rita just looks confused._

Rita- The Redclaw Council?

Lupa- All the past leaders of the Redclaws! They've never visited me before! This place is a mess! We have to clean up!  


_Rita pulls Lupa's hands off of her shoulders._

Rita- Relax, Lupa. When did it say they were coming?

Lupa- I don't know, it was all too dramatic for me to take in at once. Let me read that and-

_A voice comes from offscreen._

Short Council Member (SCM)- Lupa!  


Lupa- Eep!

_She whirls around as three heavily armored figures enter the room: one short, one tall, and one massive and muscular._

Lupa- C-c-council! Welcome!

_Lupa waves her hands frantically, gesturing to her Redclaws to get them chairs and food._

Lupa- So… what brings you around here?

Tall Council Member (TCM)- Why, we're just here to check in on the tribe… to see if we left the Redclaws in good hands.

_Lupa stammers, but Rita steps up._

Rita- Well, you've got nothing to worry about! Lupa's the best leader any of us could ask for!

_Big Council Member (BCM) growls._

TCM- We'll be the judge of that.

SCM- So… I assume you prepared the presentation of your battle plans that we requested in our letter?

Lupa- Yes! Of course! I am the person who did that!

_She looks at Rita in a panic, gesturing wildly. Rita runs away quickly._

Lupa- But first, let's just catch up as friends, you know?

_TCM raises an eyebrow._

SCM- Very well.

_They all sit down on their cushions as Rita begins to draw battle plans on a poster board, holding it up for Lupa to see as they talk._

Lupa- So… how's it been going?

TCM- We've all established Redclaw branches at our colleges. They're growing, but slowly.

Lupa- Yeah, great, that's great. Could you, like… move your head a little to the left?

_Confused, TCM does so, and Lupa gestures at Rita. Rita clearly doesn't understand, but nods and draws on the poster board._

SCM- Lupa… what are you doing?

Lupa- Um, nothing! Just scaring away a fly! Go away, stupid fly!

_The Council looks at each other suspiciously. BCM growls._

SCM- Yes, I'm glad you brought that up. Lupa, I assume you've finally severed your ties with those members of other tribes. You always were discouraged from talking to them.

_Lupa gulps._

Lupa- Yep! I cut them off so long ago, I don't even know who they are!

TCM- Good. That's one step in the right direction.

_Rita gives a thumbs up._

Lupa- Now, let's talk battle plans. Rita!

_Rita brings over the poster board, and Lupa confidently flips it over._

Lupa- Look at this masterwork! Need I say more?

_When she sees the confused and disgusted faces of the Council, she slowly turns to see the poster covered in scribbled lines, hearts, and doodles. She looks at Rita, who apologetically shrugs._

SCM- Would you care to explain what exactly this all means?

_A pause._

Rita- Really, this is my-

Lupa- Of course! We always write our battle plans out like this! You know, just in case enemies get their hands on them. You can never be too careful.

_She points to the squiggles._

Lupa- These… are the routes our troops will take! Yes, we're really going with a strategy of disorientation. We send small groups all over the school so the attack comes from every direction.

_She points to the heart._

Lupa- This represents… the heart of Maple Valley. Yeah, in order to take the school, our first step is to assume control of No-Man's Land, right in the middle.

_BCM points to the bird._

Lupa- Ah, good eye. That represents the war eagles we're planning on investing in. They're gonna be huge, I promise!

_The Council still seems unimpressed, and eye Rita._

TCM- You… we haven't seen you around before or heard anything about you. What's your name?

Rita- Um… I'm Rita. This is sort of my first year.

_The Council members' eyes widen._

SCM- You allowed a first year to be your second in command, Lupa? Is there no one more qualified in your ranks?

Lupa- Trust me, Rita's _very_ reliable. I can already tell she's going to do great things for the cause.

_She throws Rita a smile, and Rita returns it._

SCM- Well, it goes against-

Lupa- ANYWAY… time for some entertainment!

TCM- We really don't have time for-

Lupa- I insist!

_She and Rita usher the Council away as food and gladiators are brought in. Lupa leans over to whisper to Rita._

Lupa- How am I doing?

Rita- Um…

_She looks at the disgruntled Council._

Rita- Well, I'm sure they'll enjoy the entertainment.

_We cut to Charlie and Amaru running away from some enemies in the courtyard, out of breath by the time they reach an entrance guarded by Sunlions._

Sunlions- Sir, is that-

Charlie- He's fine, he's with me.

_The Sunlions reluctantly let Amaru and Charlie pass, and they each deposit their phones into baskets held out by two Parliament guards. They enter a side room of Sunlion headquarters, where Richard is waiting._

Charlie- Richard, do you have that map?

Richard- Yes, sir. Although I didn't realize I was giving up border duty to help a _Jadebiter._

Amaru- Unnecessary dig, but point taken. Let's see it.

_Richard pulls down a map showcasing the castle that makes up Maple Valley. The four tribes each have their own corners of the school, with the Sunlions' being the smallest._

Charlie- Alright, Amaru, look at this map and tell me the most likely place Julio could be.

_Amaru points to Nightfeather territory._

Amaru- Our last battle was in Nightfeather territory. If he was going to be anywhere, it would be there.

_Charlie chuckles as he lowers Amaru's arm._

Charlie- Well, yes, _but_ enemy territory is the last place we want to be right now. I'm generous, but Karasu has never put aside tribal conflicts on campus.

Amaru- Not even when I brought them cookies!

Charlie- So I was thinking we could try searching some less deadly areas.

Amaru- Such as?

_Charlie points at a secluded room not owned by any tribe._

Charlie- The teacher's lounge. Maybe your 'mighty warrior' got scared and hid with the rest of the teachers.

Richard- Or perhaps he wanted an actual education.

Charlie- Pf! That's absurd. Everything I'll need for college, I learned by fifth grade.

_He looks at Amaru and Richard shaking their heads._

Charlie- Right?

_More head shaking._

Amaru- Charlie, have you not been doing those online classes I signed you up for?

Charlie- Um, we need to focus on Julio, you guys. Nobody ever checks the teacher's lounge… it's the perfect place for a weakling like him to hide.

Amaru- Hey!

Charlie- Sorry, Amaru, but Karasu told me all about his pathetic display.

Amaru- They're the one who was shrieking when he pulled their hair.

_Charlie chuckles._

Charlie- Well, they didn't share that part.

Amaru- Anyway, we'll check the teacher's lounge. It's _possible_ Julio could have accidentally wandered in there.

Richard- Excellent, I'll-

Charlie- Richard, I actually need you to search somewhere else.

_He points to the large center area on the map, and Richard goes pale._

Richard- No Man's Land? Sir… that's suicide.

Charlie- It's the largest stretch of land not owned by any tribe. Julio could be there. Gather some troops and do a sweep.

Richard- Charlie, you must reconsider. We can't waste our own troops on some _Biter_.

_Charlie gives him a look, and they stare down for a moment before Richard relents._

Richard- I'll see what I can do.

Charlie- Alrighty, then!  


_He points dramatically._

Charlie- To the teacher's lounge!

Amaru- I'm coming for you, young Garcia!

_Charlie and Amaru pose as Richard facepalms in the background. We cut to Xander as he stands guard outside Julio's cell._

Julio- Hey, if you let me out right now, maybe Amaru will let you be on our side.

_Xander signs over his shoulder._

Xander- Keep talking, and there won't be anything left for Amaru to find.

_There is a pause, and when Julio doesn't respond for a while, Xander peers over his shoulder. His expression softens when he sees Julio curled into a ball in a corner of the cell, sniffling. Julio buries his face in his hands until something hits his head. He turns his head to see an elaborate origami crane. He turns to Xander, who has a small smile on his face._

Julio- It's… it's pretty.

Xander- My mother taught me how to make them.

Julio- What other stuff can she make?

Xander- She was able to make… anything, just by folding paper.

Julio- Was?

_Xander looks away._

Julio- Oh… I'm sorry.

Xander- She always said she liked making things out of paper because it showed that even the flimsiest material can make something beautiful…

_He looks at Julio._

Xander- She would have liked you.

_Julio smiles, but Xander quickly turns around as Karasu lands near him. They walk up to Julio._

Karasu- I knew I shouldn't have let Xander guard you. He's far too… sentimental.

Xander- Hey, I'm mute, not deaf.

_Karasu turns to Xander._

Karasu- Prepare the prisoner. I want to test him in battle.

Julio- Wha…what?

Xander- Karasu, I really don’t think-

Karasu- No questions, Xander. Bring him down to the ground and get him some weapons.

_They disappear in a cloud of smoke, and Julio panics._

Julio- What are they talking about?! I can’t fight!

_Xander walks up to Julio, unlocking his cage. He kneels down to Julio's level, picking up the origami crane from the ground and offering it to him._

Xander- You're going to be okay, Julio. Amaru saw something in you… and I think Karasu does too.

Julio- But I'm not… I'm not my father.

Xander- No… but there's still something there.

_He pulls some knives from the wall and hands them to Julio. Julio reluctantly tucks the origami crane into his pocket before taking the knives. Xander pulls on a cord, and a small elevator comes up from the bottom. He leads Julio onto it, and they descend to the bottom of Nightfeather headquarters._

Xander- Don’t tell Karasu I told you this… but all you need is a few good hits.

_He leans down and whispers to Julio._

Xander- They're actually pretty fragile.

_Julio snickers._

Julio- I'll keep that in mind.

_They arrive at the bottom, where a circle of Nightfeathers is waiting. More Nightfeathers observe from the niches in the walls. Karasu waits in the center of the ring._

Xander- Just remember, as much as Karasu might beat you to a pulp, they won't damage you enough to make Amaru mad.

_Julio gulps._

Julio- Reassuring.

_Xander nods and walks aside, leaving Julio walk into the ring as the Nightfeathers close the gap. Karasu turns around._

Karasu- Well, well, well…

_Xander rolls his eyes as he watches._

Karasu- Your father used to lead this tribe, Julio Garcia. Let's see if you inherited his gifts.

_Julio narrows his eyes and holds up his knives. Karasu unsheathes their katana and disappears in a cloud of smoke. Julio yells and runs forward as Karasu appears behind him, kicking him to the ground. He groans._

Karasu- Is that all?

_Julio gets up and runs at them. They laugh as they flip over him, hitting him backwards with their katana. Julio keeps getting up, but Karasu continuously appears from smoke and kicking him back down._

Karasu- Tell me… why would Amaru want to come back for a weakling like you?

_Julio's eyes widen, then he closes them._

Julio (internal monologue)- What was it that Dad always used to tell me?

_Mr. Garcia's voice echoes in Julio's head._

Mr. Garcia- Calm yourself, Julio. Breathe and make your move.

_Julio breathes deep, and when Karasu appears again, Julio dodges to the side instinctively. Karasu stumbles past him._

Karasu- What?

Xander- Yes!

Karasu- I can see you, Xander!  


_Xander flushes and backs away. Karasu leaps towards Julio, and he grabs his knives, blocking their strike and knocking them back. Karasu's eyes widen, and they run at him again and again. Julio repels every strike, almost in a trance. The crowd of Nightfeathers falls silent._

Karasu- It doesn't matter what you do, Garcia! Amaru is _never_ coming for you.

_Julio snaps out of it, and his eyes widen. In that moment, Karasu leaps up, kicking him to the ground roughly. Julio groans, and Xander runs out. Karasu looks down at Julio, clearly shaken._

Karasu- Xander… take him to a nicer cell.

_Xander eyes Karasu, but picks Julio up and ushers him away. Karasu beckons over another Nightfeather._

Karasu- Get our forgers… I need some papers.

_We cut to Lupa as she and the Imperial Council watch a gladiator battle. Lupa laughs at the show._

Gladiator 1- Chad, no! You can't!

Gladiator 2- I have to, Karina. Take care of my sister, would you.

Gladiator 1- Oh, I will. We're engaged, actually.

Gladiator 2- What? But I thought-

Gladiator 1- Okay, have fun sacrificing yourself!

Lupa- Pretty great, right?

_The Imperial Council is silent as the show ends. Then, suddenly, TCM stands up._

TCM- A wonderful show, everyone. Now, Lupa and us members of the Council will enter the ring ourselves.

SCM- Great idea!

_Lupa stands up excitedly as they walk to the arena._

Lupa- This'll be fun! Let's make the story up as we go! I've been working on my improv!

_The four of them move to opposite corners of the arena. Lupa thinks._

Lupa- Okay, um… my name is Lulu von Bartelli. I'm a fashionista CEO and also a spy! You three are assassins sent to kill me!

_She turns around only to immediately be knocked to the ground by BCM._

Lupa- Hey, give a girl some-

_She blocks a strike from TCM as the three Council members attack her. They knock her back and forth._

Lupa- Guys, you're kind of embarrassing me in-

_She is knocked to the ground again. The Council surrounds her and turns to the Redclaws, who have been watching in confused silence._

TCM- We have found Lupa's leadership inadequate!  


_Rita pushes to the front of the crowd, horrified._

SCM- She has put the Redclaws through fun and games instead of focusing on the war effort that we dedicated our high school careers to!

_BCM growls._

TCM- Our time here has only reinforced her inadequacy to lead you all.

_Lupa looks heartbroken as the Council turns to her. TCM leans in as he hisses his next words._

TCM- We are giving you one last chance, Lupa.

SCM- We pooled together our funds to order some advanced weaponry. You will receive it and use it to take over this school once and for all.

TCM- Dramatic exit, please!

_BCM wheels over some motorcycles. The three council members hop on and drive out. Rita immediately runs up to a shocked Lupa._

Rita- Lupa, what was that?! Why were they doing that?!

_Lupa stands up, brushing her hair aside, assuming a steely expression._

Lupa- They're right.

Rita- What?

Lupa- It's time to stop playing around. I… _we_ need to prove ourselves.

_Rita nods, and she and Lupa turn towards the rest of the Redclaws. We cut to some terrified teachers huddling in the teacher lounge._

Teacher 1- W-why are the students doing this?

_A clearly intoxicated teacher speaks up._

Teacher 2- You must be new here. This is just the way of the Valley. You'll get used to it eventually.

_She offers the other teacher a wineglass, but before she can hand it over, they hear a rumbling._

Teacher 3- What's going on? Is there another fight happening?

_The vent shakes, and Amaru and Charlie drop down. The teachers scream and huddle together._

Amaru- Where is my Garcia?!

Teacher 1- I don't know what you're talking about! I swear!

_Charlie nods to Amaru._

Charlie- Search the lounge!

_The two boys quickly spring into action, Charlie tossing teachers to the side as Amaru searches every corner, opening cabinets and drawers to check for Julio. We cut to them looking disgruntled as the teachers cower in the corner._

Amaru- He… he's not here.

Teacher 2- We told you! Now, _please_ , leave us alone!

Charlie- Ugh, _fine_.

_He and Amaru both offer business cards._

Charlie- I don't suppose I could interest either of you in joined our tribes?

_We cut to Charlie and Amaru walking out of the teacher's lounge as the door slams behind them._

Charlie- Worth a shot.

Amaru- If we don't find Julio soon… he could-

Charlie- Ugh, stop putting out those negative vibes, Amaru. Richard still hasn't finished his search.

Richard- Actually, we did.

_Amaru and Charlie turn around to see Richard and some Sunlion soldiers._

Amaru- And?

_Richard waves his hand dismissively._

Richard- Nothing. Perhaps your Julio couldn't handle the Valley and left.

Amaru- How _dare_ you.

_Charlie stands between the two._

Charlie- That's enough, you two. Okay, we searched the easy spots.

Richard- You call No-Man's Land _easy_? We barely got out!

Charlie- Point taken. But anyway, now we have to search the place we've been putting off… Nightfeather territory.

_Amaru nods, but Richard sputters._

Richard- Sir! I cannot lead troops straight into enemy territory!

_Charlie thinks._

Charlie- You're right, Richard. I have to think of my tribe.

_Richard is relieved._

Richard- Thank you, sir.

Charlie- I'll just take you instead! Let's go, gang!

_Richard's eyes widen, and he sighs. We cut to them skulking around in a dark corridor, Charlie hanging from the ceiling. Charlie makes a series of complex sounds and gestures to Amaru and Richard. Amaru nods, and Richard glances at him,_

Richard- You understood that?

Amaru- You didn't?

_Charlie and Amaru spring into action, with Richard following behind them. They slip through the hallways, taking out some Nightfeather guards and flipping through the numerous traps that line the hallway like dart shooters, doors that shut automatically, and one of those musical tile things that's in like EVERYTHING. They make it through and turn around to see an injured and exhausted Richard with darts sticking out of his shoulder._

Amaru- Ooh… sorry about that.

Richard- No, please, think _only_ of yourselves.

_Charlie chuckles and turns around to see Karasu, Xander, and several other Nightfeathers. He is initially shocked, but assumes an unfazed expression._

Charlie- Good to see you, Su.

_Karasu rolls their eyes at the nickname._

Karasu- You realize you're in Nightfeather territory, right?

Charlie- How could I not? The dark tunnel, the traps, they're all so _you_.

Karasu- Th-then you're just stupid. Now I have four valuable prisoners.

Amaru- Four? But there's three of us.

_Karasu thinks fast. You can tell that their words are strained._

Karasu- Well, I count Charlie as two. You know, because he's so… _talented._

_Charlie slightly falls for the flattery, but Amaru narrows his eyes._

Charlie- Well, it _does_ make sense.

Amaru- Actually, Karasu, we came here looking for Julio.

_Karasu scoffs._

Karasu- The Garcia boy? He could be anywhere in this school!  


Amaru- I lost him in the battle with _your_ tribe.

Charlie- C'mon, Su. Every new kid gets their freebie. Amaru will keep him on a better leash after this.

_Karasu turns around, pretending to think._

Amaru- Please…let us look for him.

Karasu- You're the enemy…

_They turn back towards the boys._

Karasu- But you're still my friends.

_Amaru and Charlie smile, but the Nightfeathers block them from going past._

Karasu- I can't have you learning Nightfeather secrets, though. I've have my agents search our territory ourselves.

Amaru- If you have Julio… you'll bring him back?

Karasu- Every new kid gets their freebie, don't they?

_Karasu offers a rare smile, convincing Amaru. He and Richard walk away._

Charlie- Thanks for being the bigger person, Karasu. I'll cut you some slack the next time we fight.

_He winks and walks away, leaving Karasu a bit sad. They harden themselves and turn towards the rest of the Nightfeathers, smiling. They walk towards the camera, transitioning into them walking away from the camera, now dressed in casual clothes on the street. They are holding some papers, and run up to Amaru, who is clearly worried. Amaru notices them._

Amaru- Karasu! Did you find him! Is he…

_He trails off as he sees their face. Karasu hands him the papers._

Karasu- I'm sorry… it looks like it was too much for him.

_Amaru looks at the papers, the heading of which reads 'Julio Garcia (No Longer Attending).' His heart breaks and his face falls. Karasu skulks off to the side, looking back at their pained friend before rounding a corner and disappearing from sight._

_End episode._


	42. Tribes of the Valley S1E3

**Episode Three: Baria no Kōchiku**

Synopsis: The tribes start to make their own plans.

_We open on some DRAMATIC shots of Charlie, Lupa, Karasu, and Amaru going to school for the day. Charlie sees Lupa on the street and starts to approach her, but she walks past him to several Redclaws, looking preoccupied with her own thoughts. Amaru trudges up the steps looking extremely sad. Charlie sees him and starts to walk towards him, but he is pulled aside by Richard and basically dragged indoors. Meanwhile, Karasu watches everything from the rooftops like the edgy person they are, their expression unreadable. Karasu jumps off the roof, and we cut to a shot of them landing in Nightfeather headquarters. They approach Julio's cage, where he and Xander are talking/signing._

Xander- That really sucks. Your dad really should have looked past the surface level when he was training you. You've got talent.

Julio- You really think so?

Xander- Well, you did almost beat Karasu.

Julio- Eh, it wasn't that hard. I guess maybe they're not that good.

_Julio snickers at that, and Xander gives a smile, signing to Julio._

Xander- Ha. Ha. Ha.

Karasu- Well, isn't this quaint?

_Xander quickly looks over at her, his hands quickly falling to his sides as he stops signing._

Xander- Ha…

_Karasu smiles._

Karasu- Getting acquainted with the priso… with our guest?

Xander- Just doing my duties as guard.

_Karasu waves their hand._

Karasu- Leave us.

Xander- But, Karasu-

_Karasu shoots him a look, and he backs off and walk away, looking back at Julio nervously. Karasu steps towards the cage, and Julio backs away._

Julio- H-hey! You can't hurt me, or Amaru will end you when he gets here.

_Karasu assumes a sad face as they unlock Julio's cage and walk inside._

Karasu- Oh, Julio. I'm not going to hurt you.

_Julio looks a little confused._

Julio- Wh-what?

Karasu- I just thought my guest should be here when I receive my reports.

Julio- Guest? I'm your prisoner.

Karasu- Well, there's no point in keeping a prisoner that's not valued by the other side.

_Julio knits his eyebrows together._

Julio- Not…valued?

_Karasu snaps their fingers and some Nightfeathers land outside the cage._

Karasu- Lieutenants… your reports?

Lieutenant One- Minimal attacks on the borders, Karasu.

Lieutenant Two- We've been mostly left alone by the other tribes.

_Karasu smirks._

Karasu- Any sightings of… Jadebiters.

_A lieutenant shakes her head._

Lieutenant Three- Hardly any. Chance encounters.

Karasu- And you wouldn't happened to have seen Amaru, would you?

_All three lieutenants shake their heads. Karasu, facing away from Julio, snickers a bit._

Karasu- _Actually_ , I did see him earlier. He just came for a quick diplomatic visit. We _are_ still friends, you know.

_They nod at their lieutenants, who leap away. Julio looks heartbroken, and when Karasu turns back around, they've assumed a more sympathetic expression._

Karasu- Poor little bird…

_They approach Julio, but Julio backs away to another corner of the cell._

Julio- Get back! He… he is coming for me. He saw something in me! He said!

_Karasu takes Julio's hand, pursing their lips._

Karasu- That's what Amaru does, Julio. He builds you up with his jokes and his compliments… but in the end, they're just words.

_A pause._

Karasu- He did the same to me.

Julio- What?

Karasu- I used to be a Jadebiter, you know. Amaru was already their leader, and we knew each before I came to Maple Valley. We all knew each other; me, Charlie, Lupa, and him.

_Karasu gets a little wistful telling the story._

Karasu- He was so nice when he asked me to join his tribe… telling me about everything we would accomplish together. I was excited.

Julio- And then?

Karasu- Turns out he didn't believe in me as much as I thought. He sidelined me, treated me just like any other soldier. All that stuff he says about potential… it's all talk.

_They get a little angry and defensive, turning around and gesturing at the Nightfeather headquarters._

Karasu- But look at me now! I left him and found my own way… and now I lead my own tribe.

_They pull Julio towards them a little roughly._

Karasu- I'm not like Amaru… I say what I see. And I see myself in you, Julio Garcia.

Julio- You… you do?

_Karasu looks at him intently._

Karasu- I do. And I think that with my help, you can be great.

_Julio looks a little doubtful._

Julio- Like my father?

_Karasu shakes their head._

Karasu- No. I don't expect you to be like your father. You can be different from him. _Better_ than him.

_Julio hesitates, and eventually shakes his head, almost trying to convince himself._

Julio- You're wrong. He's coming for me. You'll see.

_Karasu looks at Julio intently, but backs off._

Karasu- Suit yourself. If you feel like training, come down in five minutes.

_They walk out of the cage, leaving the door open._

Julio- You…you're letting me out?

Karasu- Do what you want around Nightfeather territory. Just don't try to leave. You'll be captured by another tribe in a second.

_Julio looks a little taken aback, but retreats to the corner of his cell once again. Karasu steals one last glance back at him before jumping down from the niche. We cut to Richard having a conversation with some soldiers in Sunlion headquarters._

Richard- Don’t worry. I'll make him see reason.

_He steps up to a podium where he addresses the rest of the tribe._

Richard- Everyone! I know there's been some worries about our strategy this year, but we have a battle plan to take back the territory we've lost. _Charlie_ , do you want to speak about that?

_He looks around the room, looking for Charlie._

Richard- Charlie?

Soldier- Where is he?

_Richard groans._

Richard- I think I know.

_We cut to Charlie in Jadebiter headquarters, talking to a depressed Amaru._

Charlie- C'mon, Amaru! Lighten up!

Amaru- I can't believe he would leave…

_Charlie shrugs._

Charlie- Some people just can't handle the Valley.

_This does not help Amaru feel any better._

Amaru- Do you… do you I was too hard on him? Is this _my_ fault?

Charlie- No, no, no. I'm sure you were great. He clearly just didn't have the fighting spirit.

_Amaru sniffles._

Amaru- I thought I saw something in him.

Charlie- We've all put our faith in the wrong person at one time or another. You just need something to focus on.

_Amaru sighs._

Amaru- I don't know…

_His musing are interrupted by a Jadebiter falling to the ground, unconscious. Richard and a group of Sunlions march in as Amaru quickly stands up._

Amaru- Biters! At the ready!

_The rest of the Jadebiters ready their weapons, and Charlie looks at Richard, confused._

Charlie- Richard? What are you doing here?

Richard- Sir, we were waiting on you at headquarters. You need to come back.

Charlie- I'm sort of comforting Amaru right now-

Richard- He is an _enemy_.

Charlie- He's my friend, and I'm here on a diplomatic mission.

Richard- Ugh. Come _on._ We're leaving.

_Charlie rolls his eyes._

Charlie- Fiiiine.

_He walks over to Richard._

Charlie- Don't worry, Amaru. I'm sure you'll find some motivation again.

_Amaru manages a smile._

Amaru- Thanks, Little Lion.

_Richard, Charlie, and the other Sunlions exit Jadebiter headquarters into Maple Valley's courtyard._

Charlie- You need to lighten up, Richie.

Richard- No, _you_ need to focus on the war efforts.

Charlie- Hey, we haven't lost any territory since the year started.

Richard- Congratulations, we haven't lost territory in the _three days_ since school's begun.

_Charlie chuckles._

Charlie- I know you like me, Richard. Don't worry, I won't tell.

_Richard sputters._

Richard- Oh, please! I respect you as my leader. I don't _like_ the antics you keep pulling.

_Charlie starts to respond, but trails off as he sees Lupa and her Redclaws in the courtyard, constructing some makeshift barricades. He walks towards them, and Richard groans and goes after him._

Richard- Sir-

Charlie- Lupa, how's it going?!

_Lupa seems a little agitated, but turns to face Charlie._

Lupa- Fine, fine.

Charlie- Watcha doing? Got a battle planned soon?

Lupa- None of your business!

_Charlie raises an eyebrow, but shrugs it off._

Charlie- Suit yourself. But count me in if you're planning a fight.

_Rita walks over._

Rita- If I ever get the chance at a rematch, you're going down!

Charlie- Oh, you _wish._

_They both chuckle, but Lupa pulls Rita back._

Lupa- Rita! Don't fraternize with the enemy!

_Charlie snorts._

Charlie- _Fraternize_? I didn't realize you ever went to English class, Lupes.

_Lupa rolls her eyes and turns away._

Lupa- Just go back to headquarters. Don't you have plans to make?

Richard- Yes, he does.

_Richard pulls Charlie aside, but Charlie purses his lips._

Charlie- Something's bothering her. We should-

Richard- Charlie, we are _not_ wasting time on helping the enemy,

Charlie- Come on, Richie! It'll be a recon mission! I'm sure we can find some useful information.

_Richard looks at Charlie skeptically._

Richard- You really expect me to believe that.

Charlie- No, but you don't really have a choice, bud.

_We cut to Charlie and Richard sneaking around the hallways towards Redclaw headquarters._

Richard- I hate my life.

_We cut to Karasu standing in the center of Nightfeather headquarters. They turn around to see Julio nervously trying to navigate his way to the ground across the various precarious platforms. Karasu smirks._

Karasu- Almost there, Julio.

Julio- Oh, be quiet!

_Eventually, he falls, landing flat on his stomach with a groan. Karasu arches an eyebrow._

Karasu- You came for training?

_Julio frowns, getting defensive._

Julio- Anything for a chance to beat you up.

Karasu- If _that's_ what you wanted, then you shouldn't have shown your weakness so soon.

_They press a tile on the ground behind them, causing a rope to fall from the ceiling. They grab the rope and rise up, landing on a hanging platform. Julio looks up._

Julio- Come on! I thought you wanted to train!

Karasu- This is training, little bird.

_Julio clambers onto a platform, clumsily leaping from one to the other. Karasu chuckles, easily navigating the headquarters and rising higher and higher._

Karasu- Funny. When we sparred earlier, I thought you'd be better at this.

_Julio grits his teeth and keeps going, getting faster and less clumsy. He looks up to see Karasu leaping down at him. They throw a knife, and Julio's eyes widen. To both of their surprise, Julio catches the knife. Karasu lands on the platform, and their larger weight cause the platform to slant down. Karasu unsheathes their sword and they and Julio clash. Julio is able to hold his own._

Karasu- Not bad.

Julio- You sure you're not holding back?

_Karasu growls and jumps on top of Julio. Unfortunately, this capsizes the platform, sending them both falling down. They land in a niche close below the platform, and Karasu immediately rolls to the side, tapping a tile in the wall. A tunnel opens, and they run in, the tunnel closing after them. Julio scrambles to his feet._

Julio- W-where are you? I'm not done yet!

_Karasu emerges from a wall above Julio, jumping onto another rising platform. They wave at him._

Karasu- Start thinking like a Nightfeather, Garcia.

_Julio quickly scans his environment, honing in on a small cafeteria area where some Nightfeathers are eating. Leaping across platforms, he reaches the cafeteria and grabs a real kitchen knife, chucking it up at Karasu's platform. It slices right through the rope connecting the platform to the ceiling. Karasu grabs onto the rope as the platform falls and probably crushes some unsuspecting children, swinging towards Julio. He notices a tile sticking out on the wall near him and presses it, opening a tunnel. He rushes inside and the tunnel closes behind him. He runs along the twisting passages until Karasu appears in front of him._

Karasu- You think I don't know my own tunnels?

_They clash, and Karasu opens another tunnel into headquarters, tossing Julio through. Julio rolls and recovers, and they continue to fight, going in and out of tunnels. We see Xander and another Nightfeather observing the battle._

Nightfeather- He's a fast learner.

Xander- It's in his blood.

_Eventually, Julio bursts out of a tunnel, but Karasu is nowhere to be seen. Julio starts to recover and get out from the adrenaline burst he's been in._

Julio- Oh… oh, gosh. That was… that was-

_He's interrupted by Karasu appearing above him and pulling a knife from their pocket, cutting loose a platform that swings like a pendulum down at Julio, slamming into his stomach and knocking him into the abyss._

Julio- AAAAAAAAAA!

_Karasu smirks, entering a tunnel and immediately appearing at the bottom of the room. They press a button, and a net appears, catching Julio. He catches his breath, panting hard. Karasu retracts the net, and Julio thumps unceremoniously to the ground. Karasu helps him up, giving a seemingly genuine smile._

Karasu- That was… not a bad first showing.

Julio- That was… that was…

_Karasu waits._

Julio- That was so much fun!

_Karasu chuckles._

Karasu- You're a natural Nightfeather.

Julio- I guess I got _some_ stuff from my dad.

_They both laugh, but quickly stop._

Julio- Well, um, thanks for showing me all your tricks! I'll be sure to use them against you once Amaru comes to pick me up!  


_He sticks out his tongue, and Karasu rolls their eyes. They gesture to the guards at the door, who cross their swords in front of the door._

Karasu- Whatever you say, little bird. I'm the only thing protecting you from the rest of the Valley. And I didn't show you _all_ my tricks.

_They tap their foot, and a trapdoor opens underneath them. Julio is left alone on the ground, and as he picks himself up and starts to climb the platforms, we see Xander looking down at him, a little concerned. We cut to Richard and Charlie sneaking around Redclaw headquarters._

Richard- Sir, we both know that you're only doing because you consider Lupa a _friend._

Charlie- Um, _no_. We're gathering useful intel here.

_They dart around a corner, evading the gaze of some guards. Charlie spots Lupa and Rita walking through and quickly opens the vent above him, jumping in and pulling Richard along with him. They end up awkwardly squished together._

Richard- Ugh.

Charlie- Too close for comfort, Richie?

Richard- Let's just get this over with.

_They crawl through the vents, eventually passing over Lupa and Rita and listening in._

Rita- What? You can't cancel the gladiator show today! Today was supposed to be my starring debut!

_Lupa manages a weak smile._

Lupa- I know, I know. Sorry, Rita, but we've got too much work to do. We've got more barricades to build, training exercises to run…

Rita- All this just for _one_ weapons shipment. I mean, I'm new this year, but that still seems a bit excessive.

Lupa- The Council assigned me this mission, Rita. I am _not_ letting them down.

_Richard and Charlie glance at each other._

Richard- The Council… The Redclaw Council?

Charlie- I didn't know they paid a visit. She seems stressed…

_Richard is clearly thinking about something else._

Richard- A shipment of weapons…

_He shushes Charlie as Lupa and Rita continue their conversation._

Rita- You're still up for movie night, right?

_Lupa shakes her head._

Lupa- Sorry.

Rita- Are you _serious_?

Lupa- This is war, Rita. Don't worry, everything will be back to normal in a week.

Richard- A week…

_He turns around._

Richard- Come on. We got all the intel you needed.

Charlie- Hold on, I'm just gonna pop down and-

Richard- No! We're going back to headquarters.

_They tug on each other for a bit, and Rita and Lupa look up as they hear the rustling._

Lupa- Intruders.

_Lupa reaches up and grabs the vent, pulling it down with her hot muscular arms and sending Charlie and Richard sprawling out._

Rita- Guess they were eager for a rematch too.

_Richard and Charlie spring to their feet._

Charlie- Oh, hey Lupes. We were just passing by and-

_He yelps as he ducks to avoid Lupa's spear swing. Rita and Richard pull out their weapons and start fighting at well._

Charlie- Lupa, you didn't tell me you got a visit from the Council.

Lupa- You… you listened in on us?

Charlie- Sure did. You sound like you need to take it a little easier.

_Lupa rolls her eyes._

Lupa- Whatever, Charlie. You're the one that's about to be captured.

_Charlie rolls to the side and whips his ribbon, wrapping it around Lupa's hand and messing up her swings. Lupa grunts and tosses the ribbon off, but Charlie's thinking about something else._

Charlie- You know… this weapons shipment could be just the mission Amaru needs right now. You know how he's been lately, what with Julio gone and all.

_Lupa's eyes widen._

Lupa- W-what?

_She quickly composes herself and assumes a more confident expression._

Lupa- I mean… sure! Tell the whole Valley for all I care! It's not going to stop us from getting that shipment!

Charlie- Great! Richie, let's get out of here.

_Richard turns and nods, only to be knocked back by Rita. He groans as he stands, then he whistles. Several Sunlions leap from seemingly nowhere, forming a defensive position around Richard and Charlie._

Charlie- Away we go!

_They quickly rush out of Redclaw headquarters, taking out a few Redclaw guards along the way. Lupa sighs, and Rita walks up to her._

Rita- I'm sure Charlie wouldn't have told if you asked him not to. He's your friend after all.

_Lupa's expression hardens._

Lupa- I don't take favors from friends anymore.

_As we pan away, we see a figure on the wall, cloaked in shadows, having observed the whole thing: Karasu. They grin, and we cut to Charlie talking to Amaru._

Charlie- So the Council is sending Lupa this big shipment of weapons. You know the kind of money they've got, it's probably top-notch stuff.

Amaru- Top- _notch_?

_Charlie chuckles at that, but Amaru seems a little unsure._

Amaru- I… I guess I could try to attack it with the Sunlions.

Charlie- Look, you gotta get over the kid.

Amaru- I know, I know.

_Charlie scans the room and points out some young-looking Jadebiters._

Charlie- Look at them… they need guidance just as much as Julio did. This mission will be the perfect chance to put some pep in their step.

_Amaru slowly nods, a smile coming to his face._

Amaru- You're right, Charlie. We have to focus on the future. I mean, we wouldn't want to end up like _your_ tribe.

_Charlie and Amaru both snicker at that._

Charlie- See you later, man! Let's meet at my house to plan out some attack details.

_Amaru nods and Charlie starts to head out. Amaru walks over to some of the younger Jadebiters and helps them train, smiling and laughing with them. Unbeknownst to them, a tiny tunnel opens above their heads and a Nightfeather pokes their head out, training a video camera down on them. We immediately cut to Julio watching the footage on an old television, Karasu and Xander standing behind him._

Karasu- He doesn't even seem the slightest bit worried. How heartless of him.

_Julio's lip quivers a bit and he turns to Karasu._

Julio- Oh, he'll be worried… when we come for him.

_Karasu smiles._

Karasu- Your first mission is tomorrow.

_Julio walks away determinedly, and Karasu grabs Xander as he starts to walk after him, hissing in his ear._

Karasu- This is my- _our_ shot to get some respect in this school. Don't mess it up, Xander. You may be fond of the boy, but you're a Nightfeather first.

_Xander rolls his eyes, signing at them._

Xander- You're fond of him too, Karasu.

_Karasu flushes._

Karasu- He's a means to an end. Now get back to work.

_Xander grins and walks away. We cut to Charlie arriving back in Sunlion headquarters. Richard is waiting for him._

Richard- You told Amaru.

Charlie- Obviously. He really needed the motivation.

Richard- That could've been _our_ score.

_Charlie shrugs._

Charlie- Half is still pretty good.

_He starts to notice the other Sunlions around them._

Charlie- Don't you all have patrols or missions to be on?

Richard- No…because you haven't assigned any.

Charlie- Well, lucky us then, cause now we have one.

Richard- Yes, one where we're working with the enemy.

_Charlie rolls his eyes._

Charlie- Get over it, Richie. Alliances happen all the time in the Valley.

_Richard picks up his blade._

Charlie- What is this?

Richard- A challenge. I want my position back.

_Charlie's eyes widen, and he gives a nervous laugh._

Charlie- Um, Richard… a challenge requires the approval of the tribe majority.

_Richard eyes Charlie dubiously. Charlie looks around at the Sunlions and expressions he sees say all he needs to know. Charlie looks a bit hurt and snaps at Richard._

Charlie- Fine, then. Let's do this! Challenger chooses the weapon!

_Richard grabs a small, curved sword from behind and tosses it to Charlie._

Richard- Blade.

_Charlie narrows his eyes and tosses aside his ribbon. His usually demeanor is gone; he's all business now. The Sunlions close in around them, forming a ring. Charlie growls and makes the first move, leaping towards Richard, who stands his ground and parries. They clash for a bit before Charlie backs up._

Richard- The Lions need a leader that will put them first!  


Charlie- I-I do! I would never betray my tribe!  


_He angrily swipes at Richard, but Richard flicks his blade upwards, sending Charlie's own flying from his hand. Charlie scrambles back, but Richard advanced angrily._

Richard- You _stole_ my title, and then you _wasted_ it.

_Charlie yells, running forward and tackling Richard. Richard's blade is knocked out of his hand as they struggle on the ground, and eventually Charlie pins him down. Richard pants._

Richard- So what? You'll just keep cozying up to enemies and wasting our time?

_Charlie catches his breath and stands up, addressing all the Sunlions._

Charlie- I am a Sunlion first and foremost. I…I won't let you down again.

_He extends a hand to Richard, his expression unreadable._

Charlie- Get up. We have plans to make.

_End episode._


	43. Tribes of the Valley S1E4

**Episode Four: Larvis ac Proditione**

Synopsis: Charlie and Amaru make plans together, Karasu takes the new recruit on a mission, and Lupa is given a surprise.

_We open on Lupa talking on the phone with the Imperial Council as she walks up the stairs to Maple Valley._

Lupa- Yes, everything's covered. I'll receive the shipment with no issues.

_A pause as she listens._

Lupa- Um, yeah, sure. I'll make sure the weapons don't fall into the wrong hands. You can count on me.

_She waits for a response._

Lupa- Hello? Hello?

_She sighs and hangs up. She notices Charlie walking up the stairs as well, and a small smile makes its way onto her face. She starts to walk over to him._

Lupa- Hey, Charlie!

_Charlie looks over at her and slightly moves away._

Charlie- Oh… what's going on, Lupa?

_She notices his apprehension._

Lupa- I just wanted to say sorry for yesterday. I've just been so busy lately with tribal stuff and-

Charlie- Uh-huh.

_He starts to walk away._

Charlie- Sorry, but I've got some important Sunlion matters to deal with. I…I'll talk to you sometime, okay?

_A pause._

Lupa- Okay…

_They both walk away, and we see that Charlie has a pained expression on his face. Lupa seems sad at first, but shakes her head vigorously and assumes a more determined look as she drops her phone off and rounds the corner into Redclaw headquarters._

Lupa- Alright, everyone, on your feet! We've got-

_Rita pops up beside Lupa and throws an arm around her shoulder._

Rita- SURPRISE!

_Lupa's a bit taken aback._

Lupa- W-what?

Rita- We're totally prepared for the shipment, so I took the liberty of preparing a day of fun!

_Lupa looks around to see a party set up. It's evident that Rita was a bit clumsy in setting it up, but Lupa smiles._

Lupa- I…thank you, Rita.

Rita- No problem! Let's begin!  


_Lupa's smile falters a bit when she looks at the massive portraits of the Imperial Council on the walls, but she still lets herself be led away by Rita. We cut to Charlie walking into Sunlion headquarters. He looks around, self-conscious as other Sunlions talk about him. He approaches Richard, who is talking to some other Sunlions. Richard waves them off as soon as he notices Charlie._

Charlie- What were y'all talking about?

_Richard waves his hand dismissively._

Richard- Nothing important.

Charlie- I'm the leader of our tribe. It's important to me.

_Richard rolls his eyes._

Richard- Just patrol reports. No significant enemy contact in a while.

_Charlie nods, but eyes Richard._

Richard- Anyway, sir… we need to talk about how to deal with Amaru.

_Charlie sighs._

Charlie- Yeah, yeah, I know. I'll sever the alliance with him today.

Richard- Actually…

_Charlie winces as he sees where this is going._

Richard- I think it could be beneficial to maintain the appearance of an alliance with the Jadebiters. We'll use their resources to prepare for the attack on Lupa's shipment, then betray them and take it all for ourselves.

_Charlie takes a breath, trying to calm himself._

Charlie- With all due respect, Richie… are you insane?

_Richard plays his cards close to his chest, just giving a seemingly clueless smile._

Richard- Sir, this is the most efficient way to-

Charlie- Richard, we can't just betray an alliance!

Richard- Charlie, I know that Amaru's your _friend_ , but-

Charlie- That's _not_ what this is about. This is about honor.

_Richard's a bit shocked at that._

Richard- Don't lecture _me_ about honor. I'm just trying to look out for our tribe.

_They realize that they've been a bit loud with their argument and notice other Sunlions looking at them. Richard lowers his voice to a whisper._

Richard- In case you've forgotten, _you're_ supposed to be looking out for the tribe as well. Don’t forget that.

_Charlie looks defeated and gives an exaggerated bow._

Charlie- As you wish.

_He exits, throwing glares at other Sunlions as he exits. We fade to him entering Sunlion headquarters gloomily, contrasted with a very upbeat Amaru who runs up to him._

Amaru- Ah, Little Lion! Ready to talk plans? Or we could just hang out for a while if you want! Help with training the new recruits, maybe?

Charlie- Whatever you wanna do.

_Amaru notices Charlie's demeanor and his expression shifts._

Amaru- Something wrong, Charlie? You seem down.

_Charlie shakes his head, trying for a smile._

Charlie- Just a little stressed about planning for the mission.

_Amaru nods._

Amaru- Yes, I'd be stressed if I were you too. I mean, you must be terrified that your tribe will fail, seeing how they're the weakest and all.

_Charlie snorts and punches Amaru lightly in the shoulder._

Charlie- Please. If anything, you guys are gonna be the ones to mess everything up!

_They both laugh, and Amaru leads Charlie away to some young Jadebiters._

Charlie- So these are the newbie this year?

Amaru- That's right! They're especially promising, too! Mary, show Charlie your best shot.

_An eager looking young girl pulls out a bow and fires, hitting a target, but the foam arrow bounces nowhere near the bullseye._

Amaru- Well done! Candy for you!

_He pulls candy from his pocket and tosses it to the girl._

Charlie- Well, I don't know what you need _my_ help for. Seems like y'all have it all figured out.

Amaru- Eh, we could still use your _unique_ insight.

_Charlie shrugs and pulls out his ribbon._

Charlie- Alright, kids, lemme show you how to-

Amaru- Uh, can we lose the ribbon? I prefer to teach my Biters how to use _real_ weapons.

_Charlie pouts._

Charlie- But you said you wanted my unique insight!  


Amaru- I still want it to be useful!

Charlie- Oh, you're on. I'll show everyone here that my _fake weapons_ can beat your bow anytime.

_Amaru claps his hands, gesturing to nearby Biters._

Amaru- Give us an arena!

_The young Biters cheer as Amaru and Charlie stretch, and we cut to Karasu and Xander getting ready to go out. They put on masks and pack secret pockets full of weapons._

Xander- Looking good, boss.

Karasu- Don't patronize me, Xander.

_A pause._

Karasu- I do, don't I?

_A voice peeps from behind them._

Julio- Do I have this on right?

_Karasu and Xander look to see Julio standing there, his mask hanging from his ears. Xander smiles and walks over to adjust it._

Xander- There we go.

_Julio looks up at Karasu, who seems a bit uncomfortable._

Karasu- What're you looking at me for?

Julio- How… how do I look?

_Karasu is a bit taken aback, but softens._

Karasu- You look like a real Nightfeather.

_Julio beams and he and Xander look at Karasu happily._

Karasu- Ugh! Stop _looking_ at me like that!

Xander- Mission squad! Let's go!

Karasu- I like you better when you hate everyone.

Xander- Perhaps my bitter and sassy nature is but a mask to disguise my true soft side from the world.

_Karasu raises an eyebrow._

Karasu- Can we get to work?

Julio- Yeah! What's the mission?

_A pause._

Karasu- We're raiding the Jadebiters.

_Julio and Xander are both a little shocked, and Xander looks at Julio._

Xander- Julio, if you're not ready to face Amaru, we can-

Julio- Let's go.

_Karasu nods._

Karasu- Go get ready, Julio.

_Julio walks off and Karasu pulls Xander to the side._

Karasu- I know, I know-

Xander- You're taking him right to Amaru? He's going to find out you're lying to him!

Karasu- I'm not lying! He really is better off with us.

_Xander eyes Karasu judgmentally._

Karasu- Okay, so there's been a little bit of fumbling with the truth. Whatever! He's got the mask on, and we're not gonna say his name! Amaru doesn't need to find out!

Xander- Why risk it, though?

_Karasu casts their eyes downwards._

Karasu- Amaru needs to see how far I've come. I'll show him that I'm better off than I ever could have been under his thumb.

Xander- So that's what this is about? Your pride.

_Karasu fingers their blade._

Karasu- You serve me, Xander. My _pride_ should mean a lot to you.

_Xander gives a mock bow._

Xander- Whatever you say, your majesty.

Karasu- I take back what I said earlier about liking you better when you're bitter.

_They both roll their eyes simultaneously and turn around, walking back to Julio._

Karasu- Let's go, Garcia.

_Cut to Karasu, Xander, and Julio crawling through a tunnel together. Julio is humming a song._

Karasu- Cut that out, would you?

Xander- _I_ quite like it, actually.

Karasu- Xander, if you're objecting, we're in a tunnel. Nobody can see you signing.

Julio- Maybe we could-

Karasu- Nope! If I can't understand you, your opinion doesn't matter!

Xander- Ableist swine.

Karasu- I imagine you just said something hurtful, Xander, so shut up.

_A couple seconds of silence pass, and Karasu starts humming the same song._

Julio- Hey!

Karasu- You got it stuck in my head, Garcia!

Julio- So you're just allowed to hum it whenever _you_ want?

Karasu- I'm the boss! I can do what I want!

Julio- How can you-

Karasu- Codenames! We need to come up with codenames!

Julio- Codenames?

Karasu- It's a Nightfeather thing. Disguising our identities and all that. I'll be Crow.

Xander- Wow, _so_ cool.

Karasu- I know, right?

Julio- How'd you know what he said?

Karasu- We've had the exact same exchange far too many times.

Julio- Fine, then I get to be Viper.

Karasu- _Very_ cool sounding.

Julio- It is, isn't it?

_Xander signs at Julio._

Karasu- Julio, what'd Xander say?

Julio- He wants to be Unicorn.

Karasu- Xander, you can't be Unicorn!

Julio- He says he's not coming unless you call him Unicorn sincerely and repeatedly.

_Karasu loudly groans._

Karasu- I hate you, Xander. I hate you _so_ much.

Xander- Oh, this is gonna be fun!

_Julio chuckles and Xander signs 'Ha.' Karasu gives in and snickers as well._

Karasu- Why did I bring you two on a mission together?

Julio- Because you looooove being around awesome people?

Karasu- Can we just get this thing started?

_We cut to Amaru and Charlie fighting._

Charlie- Ready to admit that I'm awesome yet?

Amaru- Charlie, you know I always think you're awesome. Your fighting, on the other hand…

Charlie- Aw, shucks. You're gonna make me blush.

_An arrow whistles by Charlie's face._

Charlie- I said my face was gonna turn red, not green!

_Charlie somersaults up to Amaru, tripping his legs out from under him. Amaru pushes himself backwards and gets up._

Charlie- Okay, I think I've proved my point.

Amaru- I was going easy on you.

_Charlie rolls his eyes._

Charlie- Yeah, r-

_Suddenly, a tunnel opens. Charlie and Amaru look startled._

Amaru- What?

Charlie- I don't suppose that's a _friendly_ dark tunnel y'all have in your headquarters?

_Karasu, Xander, and Julio all leap out of the tunnel, all wearing their masks. Karasu's eyes widen a little when they see Charlie._

Amaru- Nightfeathers!

Xander- Yep. That's us.

Karasu- Unicorn, don't sign! You'll give away who you are!

Xander- You're the one who couldn't stop their hair from sticking out of their hood.

Karasu- Shut up!

Charlie- So we've got Karasu and Xander…

Karasu- What? No! Didn't you hear me? He's Unicorn and I'm Crow.

_Charlie chuckles._

Charlie- So, who's the little guy?

Karasu- Enough talk! Viper, Unicorn, attack!

_The Nightfeathers leap into battle, and Amaru gestures to the kids._

Amaru- Well kids, the best way to learn is through experience!

Charlie- Don't you have other soldiers that could help us?

Amaru- We sort of had a mishap with the poison yesterday. The doctors said they'll all be fine, though.

Charlie- Eh. We can handle them ourselves. It's just Karasu.

_At those words, Karasu gets a little enraged and disappears in a cloud of smoke, reappearing and kicking Charlie back._

Charlie- I knew that'd get you mad. I haven't had a good fight in _ages_.

_Karasu growls and prepares to fight. However, a crowd of the young Jadebiters rushes past Charlie to surround Karasu._

Biter- Don't worry, mister! We've got this!

_Charlie gives a bemused smile and shrugs, but his eyes widen as he sense something behind him, rolling to the side as Xander appears and strikes at empty space._

Charlie- 'Sup, Xander?

_Xander rolls his eyes._

Xander- It's Unicorn, actually, but whatever.

_They have a short clash, eventually pushing each other back. Xander narrows his eyes, but gets distracted by yells from Julio on the other side of the room. Charlie looks over as well and sees Julio being swarmed by a bunch of young Biters._

Charlie- Looks like your lil' pal there's having trouble.

_Xander tries to leap away, but Charlie pulls him back down to the ground, chuckling._

Charlie- Not so fast, bud.

_We see Julio fighting against the smaller children, clearly confused and struggling. Karasu leaps up, perched on the wall through weird ninja sticky powers._

Karasu- Viper! What are you doing?

_Julio briefly turns around and Karasu can tell that he's panicked. They jump down beside him, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder._

Karasu- You…you…

_Julio looks to Karasu._

Karasu- You've got this, okay?

_Karasu leaps away quickly, leaving Julio to face the Biters. Julio breathes deep, then his eyes narrow as he goes into the zone. He starts easily defeating enemy after enemy. An arrow whistles by his face, and he whirls around to see Amaru grinning._

Amaru- Back off my kids, small angry person.

_Julio's eyes widen, and he starts to carve a path towards Amaru. We cut to Charlie grabbing Xander, turning around tossing him to the ground. Xander groans, and Charlie grins._

Charlie- Feel like throwing in the towel yet?

_Karasu's voice comes from offscreen._

Karasu- Fight a real opponent, Charlie.

_Charlie looks up to see Karasu standing in front of a bunch of unconscious young Biters._

Xander- Hey, I'm a real opponent.

_Karasu ignores him._

Karasu- You really thought your little friends could hold me off?

_Charlie gives a mock round of applause._

Charlie- Congrats, Su, you managed to beat up a bunch of children.

_Karasu rolls their eyes and dips their blade in a nearby vat of poison, running at Charlie. They dance around each other, neither laying a hit on the other. Karasu leaps over and around Charlie, ducking under his ribbon. Some poison spatters on Charlie and he turns a bit green._

Charlie- Ugh…

_Karasu runs at him but is stopped in their tracks, unable to move forward. Charlie grins and Karasu notices that his ribbon is wrapped around their leg, pulling them backwards around a hook on the wall. Charlie tugs and Karasu goes down, yelping. They scramble to their feet and flush as Charlie laughs._

Karasu- Argh! Whatever!  


_They give a bird call and more Nightfeathers come in, dragging away the unconscious young Biters. Amaru sees them from across the room._

Amaru- Not the kids!

_He fires some arrows, but the air is knocked out of him as Julio tackles him to the ground. Grunting, Amaru tosses him back, leaping to his feet._

Amaru- Who are you?

_Julio just charges wordlessly, and he and Amaru have a clash. Amaru uses his bow to hold off Julio's sword strikes, but it's clear that this range is not a comfortable place for him to fight. Amaru barely ducks under a strike, duly impressed._

Amaru- Not bad! You should come be a Jadebiter!

_Julio just gets more angry at that, swiping faster and dodging all of Amaru's strikes. Amaru is clearly having fun, but the smile is wiped off of his face when he sees Karasu dragging away the girl that shot the arrow earlier. He quickly pushes Julio up against a wall, trying to take him out of the picture._

Julio- Get off of me!  


_Amaru's eyes widen as he slightly recognizes the voice. His grip slips a little, and he is forced to leap back as Julio swipes at him. He is quickly able to fire an arrow into Julio's stomach, sending him reeling from the poison. He runs over to the other side of the room, but all the young Jadebiters have already been taken away. Charlie is fighting off a few remaining Nightfeathers, and Xander runs over to Julio._

Xander- Come on, let's go.

_He props Julio up as they open a tunnel and exit through it. Karasu whistles and calls over the Nightfeathers around Charlie. They unmask themselves and grin. Then there's an awkward pause._

Charlie- Are you going to say something?

Karasu- I'm thinking!

_Another pause. Karasu groans in frustration._

Karasu- Ugh, whatever! I would have said something cool, though!  


_They disappear in a cloud of smoke, leaving Amaru and Charlie behind, along with some remaining Jadebiter guards._

Amaru- That Nightfeather… he sounded… familiar.

_Charlie looks like he wants to help, but he stops himself._

Charlie- I, uh… I wish I could help investigate, but I have some Sunlion stuff to do.

_Amaru looks a bit surprised, but nods._

Amaru- Of course. I'll mount a rescue mission for the kids on my own.

_Charlie nods sympathetically, walking out. Amaru looks at the handful of guards he has left and assumes a large grin._

Amaru- Who's ready for a team mission!

_We cut to Rita and Lupa standing in a circle with some other Redclaws, all holding weapons._

Rita- Ready… go!

_They all charge towards the center, engaging in a short brawl while all the other Redclaws cheer. After a while, only Rita and Lupa are left._

Rita- What's our score at now?

_Lupa counts on her fingers._

Lupa- Um… four for me, zero for you.

Rita- What!? That can't be right! I remember winning!  


Lupa- Well, I don't, and if your victory isn't memorable, then it doesn't count.

Rita- Oh, I'll make sure _everyone_ remembers this one.

_Rita leaps up, and there is an extended and dramatic sequence of her bringing her axe down. The head even catches fire from the speed as Rita yells dramatically. Very anticlimactically, Lupa steps backwards and the axe bounces harmlessly off the floor._

Rita- Hey!

_Lupa shrugs._

Lupa- Don't make your attacks so long, then.

_Rita growls and the two girls clash to the roaring amusement of the crowd. Rita starts getting the upper hand, but Lupa is able to knock her axe out of her hand. Rita groans and scrambles to the gate of the arena._

Rita- I was afraid this would happen…

Lupa- What can I say? History repeats itself.

_Rita grins and throws open the gate._

Rita- Free-for-all!

_The Redclaws roar and rush into the arena, creating a chaotic battlefield. Lupa loses sight of Rita as she fends off fighter after fighter. Eventually, she finds herself surrounded and grins._

Lupa- Alright, then! Come on!

_She throws down her spear and switches to a more pro-wrestling style of fighting, doing lengthy takedowns and lots of yelling. In a blur, she switches to a luchador style outfit with some nice white fur accents, doing a Randy Savage-esque voice._

Lupa- YOU CAN'T HANDLE THE WHITE WOLF.

_Rita emerges from the crowd._

Rita- I thought we weren't doing lengthy attacks, today.

Lupa- Ugh, don't be nitpicky, Rita.

Rita- Fair enough.

_In a blur, she's also changed into a wrestling outfit, this one black._

Rita- But can _you_ handle… Black Alpha?

_Lupa raises an eyebrow._

Lupa- Black Alpha? You know, Black Beta would both add some alliteration and fit your role in the tribe more.

Rita- I'm Black Alpha, okay?

Lupa- Jeez, touchy. _Okay_.

_They engage in a spectacular wrestling match, eventually panting, both of them exhausted._

Rita- Well, that was a lot of effort and flair for ultimately not a lot of damage.

Lupa- That's wrestling, Rita.

_They both eye the crowd that's gathered around them. Lupa gets a mischievous smile on her face._

Lupa- Say, Rita, this _is_ a free-for-all, right?

Rita- Oh, you finally figured that one out?

Lupa- I'm just saying… it would take the two of us much more effort to fight each other than to…

_Rita gets what she's saying._

Rita- I'm in.

_They both grin and run together towards the crowd. The other Redclaws quickly try to run away, but Lupa and Rita grab them and perform wrestling moves on them, posing dramatically. In the middle of a pose, however, Lupa looks up at the wall and sees giant posters depicting the members of the Imperial Council. Her face falls as their eyes almost seem to glare down at her. She looks a little shocked or perhaps even afraid, and we cut to Charlie arriving back in Sunlion headquarters to be faced with Richard._

Richard- Sir.

_Charlie's smile falters a bit._

Charlie- Hey, Richie.

_He looks around and doesn't see anyone else around._

Charlie- Where's everyone at?

_Richard waves his hand._

Richard- Oh, you know. Missions and whatnot.

_Charlie narrows his eyes._

Charlie- I didn't order any missions yet.

_Richard smirks._

Richard- I took the liberty of sending them out myself.

_Charlie's eyes widen slightly, but he chuckles a bit, much to Richard's surprise._

Charlie- Oh, you're really going after me, aren'tcha?

Richard- Shouldn't you be a little angry, sir?

Charlie- I don't positively reinforce stupid bids for attention, Richie.

_Richard sputters._

Richard- E-excuse me!? I'm not-

Charlie- I know what you need, bud!

Richard- We don't have time for-

Charlie- Combat therapy!

Richard- Do I have a choice, sir?

Charlie- No, you do not!

_We cut to Charlie and Richard each holding a sword and shield._

Richard- Ugh, this whole endeavor is completely pointless.

Charlie- Aw, c'mon! You're the one that taught me how to do this back in the day.

Richard- Yes, yes, I remember. You beat me up until I give honest answers.

_Charlie grins mischievously._

Charlie- Great! First question… do you think I'm cute?

_Richard rolls his eyes._

Richard- Of course not.

_Before he can look back to Charlie, he is slammed back, grunting. He looks up indignantly to see Charlie running towards him._

Charlie- Liar!

_Charlie jumps on top of Richard and continually beats his sword over Richard's head._

Richard- Stop it! Stop it!

Charlie- Say it, say it, say it!

_Richard tosses Charlie off._

Richard- Fine! Objectively, you're attractive and I have to listen to every new Sunlion talk about it _every_ day. Are you satisfied?

_Charlie chuckles._

Charlie- They talk about me?

Richard- Ugh, I didn't think I'd say this, but can we _please_ get into the real therapy?

Charlie- Well, don't say you didn't ask me for it.

_Charlie leaps towards Richard, and we cut to Xander walking through Nightfeather headquarters. He hears some yells and grunts from a lower level, and leaps down from a hanging platform to a niche where Julio is standing around some of the captured Jadebiters, who are lying on the ground and groaning._

Xander- Julio… what are you doing?

_Julio grins a bit unnervingly._

Julio- Just testing out the new recruits. You wanna help?

Xander- Recruits? Those are the prisoners.

Julio- Hey, I was a prisoner too, remember? They can learn, just like me.

_One of the kids on the ground goes and Xander winces._

Xander- You checked with Karasu about this?

Julio- Of course. They were totally fine with it.

_Xander rolls his eyes._

Xander- Of course they were.

Julio- Hey, can you blame me for trying to convert them? Karasu actually cares about us, unlike Amaru.

_Xander winces a little at that statement._

Xander- Come on. Let's get some lunch.

Julio- Can't. Gotta train more. Why do you care if I eat, anyway?

Xander- You literally were just talking about how we care about you.

_Julio shrugs._

Julio- Whatever. You should be training too, you know. We're planning to intercept the Redclaw weapon shipment.

Xander- The what?

_Julio smirks,_

Julio- Careful, Xander. Looks like I'm close to taking your position at Karasu's side.

_Xander rolls his eyes and turns around. Julio gets a little angry and swings his sword towards Xander. In a flash, Julio is on the ground, and Xander is looking down at him, angry._

Xander- Careful. You've got potential, Julio… but you need to keep your emotions in check.

_He pauses._

Xander- It's a lesson Karasu could learn, too.

_Xander walks away, leaving Julio a bit confused. We cut to Lupa and Rita standing in a Redclaw arena, preparing to perform. Lupa is fidgeting a bit._

Rita- Okay, you got the story down?

Lupa- Yep. Evil space dictator, brave princess or whatever.

Rita- Diplomat, not princess, Lupa!

Lupa- Right, right. Of course.

_Rita eyes Lupa, but continues._

Rita- Okay. Let's go.

_They all go to separate corners of the arena, and the show begins. Rita enters dramatically as a spotlight shines, wearing extravagant villain clothes and hamming it up._

Rita- It is I, the Dark Empress! Once I obtain the Talzar Diamond, I will be able to dominate the univeeeeeeeerse!

_Enter Lupa and another Redclaw._

Rita- Ambassador! Your charge had the diamond buried in his heart as a child! Hand him over!

_Lupa hesitates, and Rita looks at her pointedly._

Lupa- Um… you'll never get away with this!  


_Rita and Lupa engage in a short fight, and Lupa is knocked to the ground as Rita slings the other Redclaw over her shoulder._

Lupa- Noooooooooooo.

_We see various shots of the play. All throughout, Lupa is struggling to remember her lines. Eventually, we reach the climax, where Lupa is hanging off a cliff on the set._

Rita- You really thought you could save him? Tell me, ambassador… what will you do now?

Lupa- Um…

_Rita waits, looking at Lupa eagerly._

Lupa- I…uh…

_Eventually, Lupa is forced to reach into her jacket… and pull out a script. Gasps echo through the audience._

Redclaw- No! She…

Redclaw 2- She's…

All Redclaws- She's not off book!

_All the Redclaws in the audience boo. Lupa drops down from the set, her eyes widening. Rita quickly runs up to her, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder._

Rita- Hey, it's okay, Lupes. Everyone has that one performance and-

_Rita's voice fades out as Lupa looks up at the massive banners depicting the council. She clenches her fist._

Lupa- This is over.

Rita- W-what?

_Lupa bangs her spear against the ground, yelling and silencing the crowd._

Lupa- This is over!  


Rita- Lupa, it's _fine_. We can just-

Lupa- This whole thing was stupid to begin with! We have to be preparing our defenses for the shipment!

Rita- But I thought we were done preparing for-

Lupa- What about once we have it, Rita? Everyone will be after our goods! We'll need to constantly defend our goods from outsiders! We don't have time for _games_!

_Lupa turns towards the set and raises her spear, bringing it down and wrecking the whole cliffside. Rita looks heartbroken, and Lupa faces her, almost daring her to question or fight back. Rita is silent, looking down at the ground._

Lupa- Come on. We've got work to do.

_We cut to Charlie and Richard in the middle of their combat therapy. Charlie pins Richard against the wall._

Charlie- C'mon, what's been up with you lately?

Richard- Nothing! I've been the same as always, moron.

_He pushes Charlie back, and Charlie smirks._

Charlie- Not buying that for a second, bud. You've been even more stuck up than usual since school started.

Richard- _Than usual?_

_Richard charges at Charlie but is knocked aside. Richard tries to fight back but is pushed back hard, slamming into a wall._

Charlie- Come on, Richie!

_Richard's head whips up._

Richard- Well, _maybe_ I thought when you _stole_ my position, you'd actually _do_ something with it!  


_Charlie raises an eyebrow._

Charlie- Well, now we're getting somewhere.

_Richard yells and clashes with Charlie, actually managing to gain the upper hand._

Richard- What about _you_ , Charlie? Why are you so unwilling to actually _lead_ this tribe?

Charlie- Psh. Richie, I'm playing the long game here. The year's barely begun.

Richard- Or maybe you're just afraid of having to take something seriously for once.

_A pause as the two back off from each other._

Charlie- I hate combat therapy.

Richard- Me too. Can we stop?

Charlie- No can do, bud. And by the way, I take stuff seriously. Sorry I'm not an ice queen like you.

_They clash some more._

Charlie- So what is this about? Are you just mad you're not the boss anymore?

Richard- I just want what's best for the tribe!

Charlie- So do I! Why do you hate me so much, then?

_Richard raises an eyebrow._

Richard- You mean besides your general demeanor, personality, and stupid weapon?

Charlie- Um… yeah. Besides that.

Richard- To put it simply, your knack for combat is wasted on someone so unconcerned with the Sunlions' victory in the war. You spend your time with enemy leaders instead of your own!

Charlie- Yeah, you're _really_ making me wanna spend time with you right now.

_They both angrily clash._

Charlie- What happened to the guy that taught me everything I know?

Richard- What happened to the boy who told me he had big plans this summer?

_Eventually, they both fall the ground. There's a moment of silence, and they both start to chuckle._

Charlie- What are we doing?

Richard- The question that comes up after every session of combat therapy.

_Richard gets up and offers a hand down to Charlie._

Richard- I will always obey the rules of tribal conflict. You're my leader, and I'll follow your orders are long as they're in the best interest of the tribe.

Charlie- Well, _that's_ not ominous at all.

_Charlie takes Richard's hand and lies up._

Charlie- And I'm trying, you know? I'm trying to take everything seriously and think about the war. But I'm… I'm still gonna be me.

Richard- Unfortunately, I don't think we can fix that.

_They both laugh._

Charlie- The others will probably be back by now. Let's go. Think you could let me give some orders?

Richard- Ugh, if you insist.

_They walk towards the door together. We cut to Amaru and some Jadebiters running through a small corridor._

Amaru- Quick and easy, soldiers. Get the prisoners out, and do it fast.

_The other Biters nod as they reach the entrance to Nightfeather headquarters, ducking around a corner as some guards pass by. Amaru makes some hand gestures, and one of his soldiers tosses a vial through the doorway, creating a sickly green cloud of poison. Amaru quickly runs through the cloud, dispatching the coughing Nightfeather guards._

Amaru- Fans, quickly!

_The other soldiers pull out hand fans from their pockets and start vigorously fanning the poison cloud, sending it all around the headquarters._

Amaru- Biters, move out!  


_He and his soldiers move quickly, navigating through the vertical Nightfeather headquarters with ease. Amaru spots a Nightfeather heading to raise an alarm, and he smirks._

Amaru- I don't think so, friend.

_He nocks and shoots an arrow, hitting her square in the back. She immediately doubles over from the poison. We see Karasu, Julio, and Xander eating lunch in a niche when the poison starts to creep to them. Xander, who is closest to it, begins to cough as Karasu and Julio notice the commotion below them._

Julio- What the-

_Karasu's eyes widen._

Karasu- Jadebiters…

_They turn to Julio._

Karasu- Cover your face, quickly!

_We see Amaru and the other Biters releasing the young prisoners from their cages, quickly ushering them to an exit._

Biter- Come on, Amaru! Let's go!

_Amaru is staring off, however, and we follow his gaze to a masked Julio leaping across the room. Amaru narrows his eyes and readies his bow._

Amaru- Go. I've got this.

_Julio lands and immediately charges Amaru. Their weapons grind against each other._

Amaru- You seemed… familiar earlier. Who are you?

Julio- I'm not gonna let you get the better of me again.

_They clash, and Julio eventually knocks Amaru to the ground. He snickers._

Julio- Well, I didn't think it would be _that_ easy.

_He raises his blade and brings it down just as Amaru turns around, shoving a vial of poison up the inside of Julio's mask. Julio immediately begins to cough, doubling over. Gasping, he reaches for his mask, but Karasu leaps in front of him, angrily slashing at Amaru. Amaru skids backwards, aiming an arrow before realizing he's completely surrounded._

Karasu- That was a stupid move.

_Amaru gives a good-natured shrug._

Amaru- Worth a shot. I'll be on my way now, thanks!

Karasu- I don't think so. I've got you right where I want you.

Amaru- Su, I thought I taught you better than this. You don't capture a leader unless you're willing to deal with an attack from his whole tribe.

_Karasu gets a bit indignant and childish._

Karasu- Maybe the Nightfeathers can handle you guys! Did you think about that?

Amaru- I don't think you want to test that out.

_A pause._

Karasu- You stole my new recruits.

Amaru- They were Jadebiters. You could never have turned them.

Karasu- _I_ turned.

_Amaru waves a hand._

Amaru- Not my fault you decided to betray the best tribe in the Valley.

Karasu- We have vandalism parties!

Amaru- And we had cookies!

_Karasu pauses, but lowers their blade._

Karasu- Argh! Just go!

_Amaru grins and walks out as the Nightfeathers clear out of the way for him. As soon as he's turned around however, his face gets serious. As he walks in the tunnel, he twists his neck, looking over the Nightfeathers to see Karasu kneeling down and helping Julio…whose mask has been removed. Amaru's eyes widen, and he quickly turns his head back around and runs through the tunnel._

_End episode._


	44. Tribes of the Valley S1E5

**Episode Five: Hatun Yallinakuy**

Synopsis: Lupa tries to find the source of some sabotage; Amaru attempts to negotiate; Charlie and Richard plan some raids.

_We open on Charlie and Richard talking as they walk to school._

Richard- And then I said, 'You're kidding me, right?'

_He pauses for laughter, looking over at a stone-faced Charlie._

Richard- What, not even a courtesy laugh?

Charlie- You'll get a laugh when you earn a laugh.

Richard- Everyone's a critic.

_Charlie rolls his eyes, and Richard's phone dings._

Richard- Hold on, let me get this. It's Sunlion business.

Charlie- Would you _please_ start CC-ing me on tribe emails?

Richard- I already tell you all the important stuff. This is just boring business. Don't try to tell me you care about that.

Charlie- It's not about actually doing stuff, Richie. It's about an irrational need to feel important.

_Richard raises an eyebrow._

Richard- Didn't expect such self-awareness from you, Notch.

Charlie- Eh. I read a book.

Richard- Let me answer this.

_Charlie shrugs and puts his hands on the back of his head. As Richard types on his phone, Charlie is dragged aside into an alley. Richard looks aside and behind him, confused._

Richard- Um… Charlie?

_In the alley, Charlie is cornered by a haggard-looking Amaru._

Amaru- Charlie!  


Charlie- Um… good to see you too, bud. _Please_ tell me you baked your usual Friday cookies, I'm starving.

_Amaru looks a little sheepish._

Amaru- I…I didn't really have the time yesterday. But I can-

Charlie- Eh, it's whatever.

_Amaru goes right back to anxiety._

Amaru- Anyway! I need your help!

Charlie- I know what this is about, and I don't give romance tips out to just anyone.

Amaru- W-what?

Charlie- Ugh, _fine_ , I'll spill! You wanna start by throwing them looks, really get them curious. They'll be boiling for attention when you finally decide to talk to them!

Amaru- Charlie! It's about Julio!

Charlie- The Garcia kid? Amaru, I know you were attached, but I thought we agreed we were going to move past this.

Amaru- This is different. I found him…

Charlie- Don't tell me you went to his house. You tuckered yourself out last time when you tried to deliver healthy snacks to all of your Jadebiters. Have you _heard_ of the postal system?

Amaru- Karasu has him!

_Charlie's eyes widen._

Charlie- What?

Amaru- I saw him when I snuck into Nightfeather headquarters. He was the kid that was with Karasu and Xander.

Charlie- I…I don't get it. Why would Karasu do that?

Amaru- Maybe they see the potential in him that I did. Maybe they're just lonely. Whatever it is, I need to get him out.

Charlie- And you want my help?

_Amaru nods, his eyes pleading. Charlie makes a face of discomfort, but gives in._

Charlie- Well… Richard's been a little more tolerable lately. I'm sure I can convince him to help. We'll plan a raid on Nightfeather HQ and-

Amaru- Actually, I was thinking that I could just talk to Karasu and-

Charlie- Amaru, I love Karasu too, but you have to admit they're not the most rational person to reason with.

Amaru- But-

Charlie- Rescue the boy and _then_ talk to Karasu. It's better to ask for forgiveness than for permission.

_Amaru hesitates, but nods._

Amaru- Okay.

Charlie- Great! Catch you later!

_Charlie runs off, leaving Amaru, who still looks a bit troubled. We cut to Julio sleeping in his alcove inside Nightfeather HQ. He is shaken awake by Karasu, rolling off his mattress._

Karasu- Rise and shine, Julio.

Julio- Ugh.

_He gets to his feet, stretching his back._

Julio- How long do I have to sleep in headquarters for? My dad sucks, but at least my bed at home is _comfortable_.

_Karasu thinks fast, making up a lie._

Karasu- It's just something I wanted to do during your first couple weeks.

Julio- Um… why?

_Karasu smirks._

Karasu- I want the potential future leader of the Nightfeathers to get acclimated to our base.

_Julio's eyes widen and he beams._

Julio- Do you mean it?

_Karasu giggles and turns around._

Karasu- Mean what? Just get on patrol.

_Julio nods and leaps down from his alcove. Karasu immediately turns serious and leaps up, entering a tunnel in the wall. We cut to Xander entering headquarters, yawning and stretching out his arms. Karasu lands next to him, pulling him aside._

Karasu- Xander! You need to come with me.

Xander- Can you not yell? My life coach says I need to surround myself with soothing presences.

_Karasu drags him aside, and we cut to them pacing around Xander in a side room, clearly distraught._

Karasu- Amaru saw him! I know he did!

Xander- Don't panic. We can't be sure he recognized Julio.

Karasu- Don't be silly. Julio was meant to be his protégé or whatever. You think he wouldn't recognize him?

Xander- Actually…

_Karasu narrows their eyes._

Xander- I've been meaning to talk to you about Julio…

_In a flash, Xander is on the ground, Karasu's foot on his chest. He looks up to see Karasu looking desperate and frantic._

Karasu- We are _not_ telling him the truth, Xander. I know _you're_ attached, but I'm doing what has to be done. He… he's just starting to trust us.

_Xander raises an eyebrow._

Xander- And you're saying you're _not_ attached?

_Karasu turns around, screaming in frustration._

Karasu- It doesn't matter! Just go double the security around base. Amaru is _not_ getting back in here.

Xander- You got it.

Karasu- Argh! Be mad or something!

Xander- No.

Karasu- Why… not?

Xander- It's not worth it. We both know that this is wrong.

_A pause._

Karasu- _Go_.

_Xander starts to leave. Karasu falls back into a chair, and glares up as Xander reenters._

Karasu- What?

Xander- Um…

Karasu- Spit it out.

Xander- There's kind of an attack happening.

_Karasu's eyes widen._

Karasu- _What?_

_Karasu quickly runs out of the room, Xander following close behind. Julio lands in front of them, his mask pulled up._

Julio- It's a Sunlion raid! They've got a pretty large force coming in.

_Karasu growls._

Karasu- Just stick close to Xander.

_They give Xander a look, and Xander nods in understanding. Karasu looks down to see Charlie and Richard leading a group of Sunlions into the headquarters, rushing in tight formation to defend themselves from the Nightfeathers surrounding them._

Karasu- Little birds!

_They click their fingers, summoning a squadron of Nightfeathers and leaping down to join the battle. Karasu lands on a hanging platform and pulls out a small crossbow, shooting down at the enemies below. We cut to Charlie and Richard fighting below._

Richard- Sir, it was good to see you take initiative and suggest a raid today!

Charlie- Sure, sure…

_Charlie scans the alcoves of the headquarters, looking for something. Eventually, he spots a tunnel opening, its guards evidently engaged in the battle. Amaru and a small force of his soldiers exit, and Amaru gives a thumbs up to Charlie. Charlie grins, and Richard follows his gaze._

Richard- Is that-

_Before he can finish his sentence, a crossbow bolt hits his stomach, knocking the air out of him. Charlie looks up to see a smirking Karasu. We pan up to them as they continue firing down, until they notice a familiar blue ribbon wrap around the platform they're standing on. They put away their crossbow and ready themselves as Charlie pulls himself up, blowing his hair upwards and grinning._

Charlie- What's the matter, Su? Don't wanna fight up close today?

Karasu- You're out of your depth, Charlie. It was a mistake to come into _my_ headquarters.

_They begin to clash, conversing casually the entire time._

Charlie- Just wanted to check in with y'all. How's it going?

_He pulls them in and ducks under their blade._

Karasu- Doing _stellar_. You all are preparing to attack Lupa's shipment too, I presume?

_Charlie pulls a hatchet from his belt and they dodge each other's swipes._

Charlie- That's the plan, yeah. Think your tribe has a shot at taking our loot? I don't think so.

Karasu- We have a new weapon. I think you met them the other day.

_Charlie appears a bit hesitant, now aware of Julio's identity._

Charlie- Yeah… we have our suspicions about the kid.

_Karasu goes pale, pushing back._

Karasu- So Amaru _did_ see… I knew it.

_They realize something._

Karasu- You're talking to him about this stuff? Are you two working together?

Charlie- Um… yes?

_Karasu's façade starts to slip, and their eyes get wider, more vulnerable._

Karasu- Y-you guys want me to lose _that_ much?

Charlie- Su, you stole a kid. Just give him back and everything can-

Karasu- Don't _call_ me that.

_Karasu jumps up, flipping and kicking down, landing a solid hit on Charlie's stomach and sending him flying off the platform._

Charlie- Agh!

_He flails in the air until he is caught by Richard. Charlie grins and clasps his arms around Richard's neck, exaggeratedly swooning._

Charlie- You always were there to catch me…

_Richard promptly drops him, leaving Charlie to scramble to his feet._

Charlie- Hey!  


Richard- One day, your relentless flirting will get you in trouble, sir.

Charlie- Flirting is too light a word. I forge true connections.

_Richard's eyes widen as he sees something behind Charlie._

Richard- Duck!

_Charlie drops down as Richard slashes forward, stopping Karasu in their tracks. They flip backwards, tossing some daggers down at Charlie. He rolls aside, whipping his ribbon and grabbing Karasu's leg. They wriggle out and ready their blade as Charlie and Richard circle around them._

Charlie- If you don't wanna fight us both, you can bow out now.

_Karasu hesitates but snarls._

Karasu- I don't think so.

_They engage in combat, and we cut to Xander and Julio taking out some Sunlions._

Julio- Not bad, huh?

Xander- You could use some more panache. You're all substance, no style.

Julio- Hey, I get the job done!

_Xander grins and pats Julio's back._

Xander- Don't worry, you'll get there.

_Julio brushes it off, trying to be cool._

Julio- I know, I know. It's whatever.

_A pause._

Julio- Thank you, though.

_Xander starts to sign back, but hears footsteps above him and looks up to see Amaru and his soldiers approaching from the alcoves. Amaru's eyes zero in on Julio, and Xander realizes that Karasu was right._

Xander- Julio… get out of here.

Julio- What? But I can help! You know I can!

_Xander turns and Julio balks when he sees how serious Xander is._

Xander- Just go help out on the ground.

_Julio quickly nods and runs off. Amaru notices and leaps down, trying to catch up._

Amaru- Wait! Jul-

_He is cut off as Xander punches him in the stomach, knocking him back._

Amaru- Oof!

_Xander raises his fists as the Jadebiters surround him. Amaru looks a lot more determined than usual._

Amaru- You are _not_ keeping him. You have to know it's wrong, Xander. Hand Julio over.

_Xander hesitates for a second, but looks down and sees Karasu struggling against both Charlie and Richard._

Xander- He doesn't need you anymore. He's happy here.

_Amaru yells and he and his soldiers all charge towards Xander. Xander fights off some of them, but is soon overwhelmed. Amaru presses his bow down against Xander's grip._

Amaru- You lied to him, I know you did! Are you happy letting him live a lie?!

_Xander's expression falters, but he pushes Amaru off of him, whistling for backup. We cut to Karasu starting to gain some ground in their fight, disarming Richard and kicking him to the ground. They catch Charlie's ribbon, pulling him to the ground. He tries to maintain a light demeanor._

Charlie- Who knew you had that kind of strength in those noodle arms?

Karasu- Shut up! Just shut up! You think that you and Amaru can just team up against me and you can keep making your _stupid_ jokes?

Charlie- It's not like that, Karasu.

Karasu- Argh!

_Karasu yanks on the ribbon, sending it flying across the room and out of Charlie's hand._

Charlie- Hey! That has sentimental value!

_Karasu sweeps Charlie's legs, grabbing him by the hair and dragging him across the room, pushing him against the wall. Charlie smiles at them weakly._

Charlie- Hey… fancy meeting you here.

_Karasu shoves a foam dagger to Charlie's chin._

Karasu- I am going to win this war. Then you all are going to stop treating me like some little pet!

_Charlie knits his eyebrows together._

Charlie- Karasu…

_Karasu slightly slams Charlie's head against the wall, causing him to groan. We cut to upwards, where Amaru is throwing Xander to the side._

Xander- Ow.

Amaru- Where did he go?

_He leans over the edge of the niche and yells down._

Amaru- Julio!

_Below, Julio looks up at the sound of his name. Amaru notices, but his eyes are also drawn to Charlie being yelled at by Karasu, unarmed and helpless. Charlie looks up to Amaru._

Charlie- I'm good!

_He stifles a small yell as Karasu knees him in the stomach. Amaru instinctively starts to move towards him, firing an arrow towards Karasu. It flies by their shoulder, and they turn around, dropping Charlie to the ground._

Amaru- Karasu!

_They begin to run towards each other, but Charlie quickly runs over and grabs his ribbon, grappling up to Amaru and holding him back._

Charlie- Hold on, Amaru. We have to retreat.

Amaru- W-what? But I don't have him.

_Charlie points down to reveal the Nightfeathers driving back the Sunlion forces._

Charlie- Our forces are on the brink of defeat. If we stay, we'll be captured!

Amaru- But-

Charlie- Hey! I hate being the responsible one too! We'll figure out our next move when we get out!

_A pause._

Charlie- We _will_ get him back.

_Amaru slowly nods and leaps down, running behind the rest of the troops. Richard gets up and yells at the Sunlions._

Richard- Retreat!

_Charlie's about to leap down, but before he does, Karasu stops in front of him, panting. They lock eyes for a second, then Charlie jumps away. As quick as they entered, the Sunlions are gone. We cut to Lupa lounging in her throne in Redclaw headquarters, examining some documents. Rita walks over to her, leaning on Lupa's shoulder playfully._

Rita- Watcha checking out? Looks boring.

Lupa- Just some delivery confirmation for the shipment.

_Rita rolls her eyes._

Rita- So I was right.

_Lupa glares at Rita, and she backs off._

Rita- Sorry, sorry. I know this is important to you.

Lupa- It should be important to all of us, Rita.

Rita- I know, I know. If you want, I can look over that form for you and-

_She reaches for it, but Lupa shoos her arm away as she points at something on the paper._

Lupa- Hold on!

Rita- What is it?

Lupa- It says that the order's coming… in two weeks?!

Rita- It got delayed? That kind of sucks. We already prepared all our defenses and-

_She notices Lupa's pursed lips and twitching foot._

Rita- Hey… it’s okay. We'll just keep building up the barricades and-

Lupa- No! This has to happen this week! These weapons are the future of our tribe, Rita, and the Council is counting on me!

_Rita eagerly picks up her axe._

Rita- You wanna fight it out?

_Lupa just slumps back in her chair, leaving Rita unsure of what to do._

Rita- Um… you, uh… you have to stop worrying about it. We'll just bide our time until all the shipments ahead of ours are delivered.

_Lupa leaps to her feet, much to Rita's unease._

Lupa- That's it!

Rita- What's it?

Lupa- The only way our order could get pushed back so far is if a bunch of other massive orders were placed and prioritized. This town barely gets any shipments from outside, Rita.

Rita- Um… I'm not following? Can you phrase your explanation in the form of a weapon?

Lupa- It's too suspicious! Someone must be trying to sabotage the Redclaws by making a bunch of orders and forcing the shipping company to place theirs before ours.

_Rita seems to get a bit worried._

Rita- Even if you're right, how are we supposed to fix that. We'd probably have to do some computer stuff or something, and nobody in the Valley has enough of an education for that.

_Lupa gets a twinkle in her eye._

Lupa- Nobody?

_A cheesy zoom in on Rita as she gasps._

Rita- You don't mean…

_Another cheesy zoom in on Lupa._

Lupa- Oh, yes. We have to go… to the Free Classrooms.

Rita- I've heard stories of what happens there! Raiding parties, tribe recruiters, anarchy!  


_Lupa grins._

Lupa- Oh, it's worse than that.

Rita- We can't go there! I've seen the memorial wall of people that went there and never came back.

Lupa- Rita, you'll have me with you! Besides, it's a tradition for everyone to go in their first year.

Rita- Is that true, or did you make it up to reinforce your point?

_Lupa puts an arm around Rita._

Lupa- Don't worry about it. Besides, think of the comedic potential! You, the fish out of water, and me, the experienced yet eager mentor.

_Rita grins at the old Lupa shining through._

Rita- Alright, we'll go. Maybe it could help you destress a little bit.

_She picks up her axe._

Rita- Beside, you'll need _someone_ to protect you.

Lupa- I could say the same to you.

Rita- I'm protecting you.

Lupa- No, I'm protecting you.

_They keep going back and forth as they walk away, and we cut to Karasu addressing Xander._

Karasu- That was far too close, Xander.

Xander- Hey, don't blame me. I did my best.

Karasu- I got it, you're a saint or whatever.

Xander- Well, finally _someone_ acknowledges it.

Karasu- I'm putting you in charge of all patrols and guards. Not _one_ person in.

Xander- Sure. And what will you be doing while I do all the work?

_Karasu looks down at Julio training with some other Nightfeathers._

Karasu- I'm staying by Julio. He needs eyes on him at all times in case you fail.

_Xander rolls his eyes._

Xander- You just want to spend time with the kid, don't you?

Karasu- Oh, please.

_Xander gives them a dubious look._

Karasu- Whatever! Just do your job!

_Karasu leaps away, leaving Xander alone. He looks over at Julio, pursing his lips, and walks away. We cut to Charlie and Richard talking to Amaru in Jadebiter headquarters._

Richard- Amaru… I thought I saw you in the raid.

_He turns to Charlie._

Richard- So much for the raid being a spur of the moment idea to help our tribe.

_Charlie shrugs._

Charlie- Whatever, man. Does it really matter what the reason for the raid was?

Amaru- Besides, we're allies, Richard. We have to spend _some_ time helping each other before the Redclaws' shipment comes in.

_Richard picks at his nails._

Richard- Of course, of course. Well, I hope you got what you needed while we did your legwork.

Amaru- Actually…

_Richard looks back and forth between Amaru and Charlie._

Richard- No.

Charlie- Sorry, Richie, but there's still work to do.

Richard- But we have work to do for our own people, sir!

Charlie- Trust me, I wouldn't be doing this if it didn't benefit us, too. We'll get new territory, take prisoners, wear down their defenses.

_Amaru comes up behind Richard, gripping his shoulders._

Amaru- Ooh. Sure sounds appealing to me.

_Richard breaks away from Amaru, gripping his head and groaning loudly._

Richard- Ugh! Fine!

_He turns to Amaru, jabbing a finger into his chest._

Richard- We'll do a series of raids to wear down their defenses. You stay here until we've weakened them, and then you can go in.

Amaru- But I can help! Plus I provide moral support!  


Charlie- It's cool, Amaru. Richard sort of has a complex about accepting help from other tribes.

_Richard sputters._

Richard- I don't have a _complex_!

_Charlie puts an arm around Richard, leading him away._

Charlie- We won't let you down!

_They exit, and Amaru shrugs._

Amaru- Suit yourself. Less work for me.

_His ears suddenly perk up, and he pulls out his bow and aims it as Xander drops down from the ceiling. Amaru lowers his weapon, curious._

Amaru- Xander…

Xander- We need to talk.

_A pause as they stare each other down._

Amaru- I'll get the tea.

_We cut to Charlie and Richard leading some Sunlions down the corridors of Maple Valley._

Charlie- Aren't you excited? I'm planning raids for the tribe and stuff!

Richard- Congratulations, sir. You're doing the bare minimum required of your station.

Charlie- I don't remember you being this catty back when you were in charge.

Richard- I suppose demotion breeds dissatisfaction.

_Charlie snorts._

Charlie- Looks like you had time to read a dictionary with all the extra time you have now.

_Richard fumes._

Richard- I despise you.

Charlie- Don't lie to yourself.

Richard- I want to switch tribes.

Charlie- Then I wouldn't need an excuse to tie you up.

Richard- Argh!

_Charlie holds up a hand, stopping the group._

Charlie- Alright, y'all, we're almost there. Take 'em out.

Richard- Erm… take what out?

_Charlie and all the other Sunlions pull out lengths of rope from their pockets._

Charlie- Well, we don't want our little raids today to get repetitive, do we?

Richard- I don't like where this is going.

Charlie- I just thought we'd add a bit of challenge to it all!

_Quick cut to Charlie and Richard fighting side by side, each with one arm tied behind their backs._

Richard- I repeat my previous statement: I despise you!

Charlie- What, don't tell me you need _both_ hands to fight?

_With some difficulty, Richard disarms and knocks aside the enemy he's fighting. He curls his lip in annoyance._

Richard- Did you really have to tie my dominant hand, sir?

Charlie- I didn't hear you complaining.

Richard- I did complain. Loudly.

Charlie- Eh, I guess I have hearing trouble. Out of the way!

_Charlie pulls Richard back with his ribbon, getting him out of the way as an enemy charges. Charlie takes her out, and Richard flicks some dust off his shoulder._

Richard- I was doing just fine, thank you very much.

Charlie- You're welcome!

_Nearby, a Sunlion is knocked out by a group of Nightfeathers._

Richard- Sir, aren't you concerned that this could result in more casualties for our side?

Charlie- Relax, Richie. If we start to have any problems, we'll just fight normally. Besides, these Nightfeathers are pathetic!

_Richard rolls his eyes._

Richard- You had better hope that someone actually competent like Karasu doesn't show up.

_We cut to Karasu and Julio playing Connect-Four as they eat lunch. Julio seems a little disgruntled, and Karasu narrows their eyes._

Karasu- What's up with you? You look stupid.

_Julio stays silent, and Karasu softens._

Karasu- Hey… talk to me. We can't have our best soldier in a funk.

Julio- Why do you guys keep making me run away?

Karasu- Excuse me?

Julio- I got to fight _once_ , and now every time Amaru and his soldiers come by you guys baby me.

_Karasu is silent for a second._

Karasu- They're after you.

Julio- Th-they're after _me_? Why?

Karasu- That first time you fought, you made an impression on Amaru. He doesn't know who you are, but he wants to capture you and make you his own personal weapon.

Julio- W-what? He is?

_Karasu stands up, clearly angry themselves._

Karasu- That's just like him. He doesn't care about people when they're not useful to him. He let you leave when he didn't know you had potential, and now he wants you on your side.

_A pause._

Karasu- He never tried to get _me_ back when I went away. He regrets it now.

Julio- He… he's said that?

_Karasu advances on Julio, the words clearly striking a nerve._

Karasu- Of course he regrets it! Why wouldn't he! It's obvious he's out to get me, what with teaming up with the Sunlions. It's not enough for him to take my territory, now he wants to take you from me!

_They seem a bit shocked at their own words, stopping to breathe. They look down to see Julio with wide eyes._

Julio- You won't let him take me, will you?

_Karasu slowly gives a real smile, ruffling Julio's hair._

Karasu- I won't. I promise.

_Julio holds up a yellow Connect-Four piece that has been roughly marked over with black._

Julio- Who colored all the yellow pieces black?

_Karasu snickers, flushing._

Karasu- I thought it looked cool.

_They both chuckle, and we cut to Xander and Amaru sitting down in a secluded room, sipping on tea._

Amaru- You've been quiet.

_Xander rolls his eyes._

Xander- I'm mute, Amaru.

Amaru- You know what I mean.

Xander- Sorry. I never pass up an opportunity to make mute jokes.

Amaru- Yeah, is it okay for me to laugh at those?

Xander- Do what you feel like. I'll just film it and let social media decide your fate.

_Amaru chuckles, but turns sober._

Amaru- Well, I know you didn't just show up to make jokes.

Xander- No?

Amaru- What has Karasu been doing to Julio?

Xander- Cutting right to the chase. I like it.

Amaru- So…?

_Amaru waits for an answer, and Xander purses his lips._

Xander- I'm worried about the kid. And I don't know what to do.

_Amaru is a bit taken aback._

Amaru- I…um…

_Xander raises an eyebrow._

Xander- Well? Aren't you supposed to be the mature one?

_Amaru weakly laughs._

Amaru- Whoever told you that is a liar.

_He turns serious again._

Amaru- You're worried about him, you said? I didn't have you pinned as the caring type.

_Xander looks at him, deadpan._

Xander- Deep down I'm very emotional, I swear.

Amaru- I don't have time for this, Xander. Just give Julio back.

Xander- You know that's not my decision.

Amaru- Then let me in to headquarters. I can fight off Karasu.

_Xander rubs his forehead._

Xander- That's the problem. Taking away the kid would put them in a _really_ bad place. You understand, don't you?

Amaru- Far be it from me to worry about how the kidnapper feels about all this.

Xander- They're your friend.

_Amaru grits his teeth._

Amaru- I'm _trying_ to be understanding about this, but Karasu forged papers to get me off their trail. Why are they so obsessed with Julio?

_There's a long pause._

Xander- I'll help get you in.

_Amaru starts to speak, but Xander holds up a hand._

Xander- _If_ you talk to them first. Work things out between you.

_Amaru sips on his tea, thinking._

Amaru- Okay. You're right, we're friends. We'll be able to figure it out.

_Xander gives a curt nod._

Xander- I'll see you then.

_Xander stands up, opening up a tunnel and walking through. Amaru gives a deep sigh, leaning back in his chair. We cut to Richard and Charlie standing with some Sunlions in a group huddle._

Charlie- Good job everyone, except Richard.

_Richard looks at Charlie, aghast._

Richard- Are you serious? I fought off ten enemies with my left hand!

Charlie- But you didn't look like you were having fuuuun.

_Richard rolls his eyes._

Richard- But, thankfully, it's over now and-

Charlie- And now we can try some new challenges!  


_Richard's eye twitches._

Richard- _Excuse me_?

_Charlie grins and we go through various shots of the Sunlions fighting Nightfeathers with assorted handicaps. At one point, they have comically cartoonish anvils tied to their arms. In another shot, the Sunlions are paired up and sitting on each other's shoulders. Richard is vigorously trying to shake Charlie off. In another, they are walking on their hands, holding their weapons in their feet. Throughout the series of shots, Richard looks extremely unamused while Charlie is having a blast. We end on a shot of the Sunlions observing a hallway where they have quite a few Nightfeathers knocked out and bound._

Charlie- That wasn't so bad, was it?

_He turns to see Richard dramatically languishing on the floor._

Richard- The pain… the humiliation… it's _simply_ unbearable!  


_Charlie rolls his eyes, grabbing Richard by the shoulders and hauling him to his feet._

Charlie- Relax, Richie. You did great!

Richard- _Please_ tell me it's finally over.

_Charlie pretends to consider it, and Richard falls to his knees, practically begging._

Richard- _Please_ , Charlie, _please_.

Charlie- Gotta say, this whole day was worth it just for that.

_Richard collapses backwards, sadly swooning towards the ceiling._

Charlie- Welp, I think we've beaten down Nightfeather defenses enough. Let me tell Amaru, and then we just have one more raid.

Richard- Just one more?

Charlie- And no challenge this time. I promise.

_Richard scrambles to his feet, trying to maintain some shred of dignity._

Richard- Ugh, fine.

_There's a pause._

Richard- Well? Send the messenger!

_Hard cut to Richard dragging himself across the floor into Jadebiter headquarters. Amaru looks up from his newspaper._

Amaru- Um-

Richard- Don't ask. You won't _believe_ the day I've had.

Amaru- You all are ready for me?

Richard- Mm-hm.

_Amaru grins, walking over and pulling Richard to his feet._

Amaru- Come on, you can't be _that_ tired.

Richard- At this point, it's more about making a statement.

Amaru- Well, I'll meet you and Charlie in headquarters.

Richard- You got it.

_He immediately gets back on the floor, dragging himself in the opposite direction. Amaru rolls his eyes before steeling himself and grabbing his bow from a wall. We cut to Lupa and Rita standing around a corner._

Lupa- Okay, first things first, don't look anyone in the eye. They might attack you, or worse, try and sell you something.

Rita- Got it.

Lupa- Second, ignore the academics we're not here for. They're pathetic and spineless, but they're not a threat.

Rita- Got it.

Lupa- Last, be fast. We just need to get to the computer lab.

Rita- I'm ready.

_Lupa laughs._

Lupa- Trust me, everyone says that at first. But once you're in the Free Classrooms, all those rules I just told you don't really matter. It's utter chaos.

Rita- Then why did you-

Lupa- Let's go!

_Lupa turns around the corner, pulling Rita along with her. In front of them is a wide hallway filled with violence and chaos. Soldiers from all the different tribes attack students holding books._

Student- Please! I just want to get into college!

Soldier- _Never_ say the c-word in here! Get her!

_The student's wails fade out as Rita looks around in horror. Lupa grins._

Lupa- Told you. Now come on.

_Lupa drags Rita away, but she accidentally catches the eye of a student holding a pamphlet._

Student- EXCUSE ME, MA'AM!

Lupa- I told you not to look anyone in the eye!  


Rita- I didn't mean to!  


_It's too late, however, as the two girls are surrounded by tribe salespeople._

Salesperson One- Can I interest you in joining the Jadebiters!  


Salesperson Two- The Redclaws are great if you like entertainment!

Salesperson Three- The Sunlions-

Lupa- Argh!

_With one sweep of her spear, she takes them all out._

Lupa- I _hate_ salespeople.

Rita- Wasn't one of them advertising our tribe?

Lupa- I prefer to convert people the old fashioned way. By capturing them, breaking their minds, and remolding them to my liking.

Rita- Um…

Lupa- To the computer lab!

_Lupa quickly rushes Rita over to nearby room, slamming the door behind them. The two of them are panting._

Rita- How…are we so tired? We moved like twenty feet?

Lupa- Moving as stylishly as I do takes fifty percent more energy.

Offscreen Voice- Um…

_Lupa and Rita turn to see some cowering students._

Student- You're… you're from the tribes. What are you doing here?

Lupa- We're _from_ the tribes? Are you telling me you don't know who Lupa de Mancini is?

_The students shake their heads, terrified. Lupa narrows her eyes._

Lupa- I changed my mind, Rita. Let's take them out.

Rita- Calm down, Lupes.

Student- J-just please leave here! We'll never bother you!  


Lupa- Relax.

_She approaches them, speaking in an extremely slow and patronizing tone._

Lupa- We come in _peace_ , academics. We have utter respect for your savage culture, and we're just looking for some help.

Student One- Um, _we're_ the savages?

Rita- Just pull out your computer and do the computer thing!

Student Two- Can you be more specific, please?

Lupa- Someone, like, hacked the delivery service or something. We need you to fix it so we can get our shipment.

_One student steps in front, crossing his arms._

Confident Student- Um, what's in this for us?

_Lupa laughs._

Lupa- Are you serious right now? You're a funny guy!

Student- Um, Jack, maybe we should just-

_Confident Student (Jack) raises a hand._

Jack- We'll help you tribal folk out… if you promise to help us clear out these classrooms for the academics.

_Lupa and Rita exchange a look. Lupa points her spear at Jack, but he's unfazed._

Jack- Agree to it, and we'll help. If not, we don't. Capeesh?

_Lupa chuckles._

Lupa- I like your spunk, kid. Sure, we'll help you out after this.

_Jack grins._

Jack- Magnificent. Now, let's see this website.

_Lupa heads to a computer and looks at the keyboard, confused._

Jack- Well? Put in the website.

Lupa- I will, I will. It's just…

Jack- Ugh, I forgot you people's weird thing against technology.

Lupa- Hey, I have a cell phone!

_She types for a little bit, and the website comes up._

Lupa- Here. Do your thing.

_Jack goes to the keyboard, and Lupa goes to talk to Rita._

Lupa- So, Rita, what have you-

Jack- Done.

_Lupa whirls around._

Lupa- What?

Jack- I had to press, like, two buttons. You guys are just idiots.

_Rita and Lupa look amazed._

Rita and Lupa- Woaaaaaaaah.

_Jack narrows his eyes as he clicks through some stuff._

Jack- Hold on.

_Lupa and Rita look over his shoulder._

Lupa- Ooh, what are you doing?

_Rita looks a little more nervous._

Rita- Didn't we already get what we needed?

Jack- I might be able to trace these orders back to the person that made them.

_Lupa slaps him on the back._

Lupa- Good initiative, kiddo!

Jack- I will _not_ continue this if you keep calling me 'kiddo.'

Rita- Lupa, we've really got stuff to do back at the tribe.

Lupa- Rita, shush! The computer man is computering!

Jack- Got it!

Lupa- Ooh!

Rita- Lupa, we should-

Jack- It's someone named… Rita Nzuyen.

_The frantic conversation is replaced with total silence as Rita and Lupa both go pale._

Jack- What? You know them?

Rita- Lupa… I can explain.

_Lupa stands up, gesturing to Rita._

Lupa- Alright, then. Explain.

_Rita stammers._

Rita- I, just… you were being so uptight since the Council visited. It all started with this stupid shipment so I thought that maybe if I delayed it you maybe wouldn't be so-

_Rita is interrupted by Lupa sweeping her legs out from under her. Lupa looks to the students._

Lupa- Do you mind?

Jack- Go ahead. This is the most drama we've had in years.

Rita- Lupa, if you would just-

_Lupa grabs Rita by the hair and looks down at her, clearly holding back emotions._

Lupa- I trusted you, Rita. And now you've made me regret that.

Rita- I-

Lupa- You tried to make me a _failure_. I'm not going to let you drag me down.

_Lupa turns and gives a curt nod to the students._

Lupa- Thank you for your help.

Jack- Oh, it was nothing. Have fun with your…um…friend.

Lupa- She's a prisoner.

Jack- Ah, my mistake.

_Lupa drags Rita out, furiously wiping her face. We cut to Karasu and Julio still playing Connect-Four._

Julio- Ha! I win!

_Karasu growls and punches the Connect-Four board away. They look at Julio, struggling to get the words out._

Karasu- Urgh…good job.

_Julio smiles._

Julio- Where's Xander, by the way? Maybe _he_ could give me a challenge.

Karasu- He's off doing important work. I'm on babysitting duty today.

Julio- Hey!

Karasu- Kidding, kidding.

_We quickly pan upwards through Nightfeather headquarters to see Xander standing alone by a tunnel. He looks a little nervous, and his head whips to the side as Amaru cautiously climbs out of the tunnel._

Amaru- Hey.

Xander- Hey.

Amaru- So…um… where are they?

Xander- Not right now. They're finishing their game.

_Amaru knits his eyebrows in confusion, looking over the side. He sees Karasu and Julio starting another board game, though he can't hear what they're saying._

Amaru- What-what are they doing?

_Xander pulls him back._

Xander- Um, do you mind _not_ doing that? Someone could spot you, and then _my_ head's on the guillotine.

Amaru- I don't have the time to wait. I have to get close.

_Xander purses his lips._

Xander- We'd need some sort of distraction.

Amaru- Well…

_Before Amaru can finish his sentence, battle cries ring out from below them. Amaru and Xander both scramble to look over the side. Richard, Charlie, and their soldiers charge in from an entrance, easily overpowering the minimal guard._

Xander- I don't suppose you knew anything about this?

Amaru- Um… it might have slipped my mind in our conversation. I was busy with my feeeeeelings.

Xander- If I could loudly groan, I would right now.

Amaru- It's fine. This way we can separate Karasu and Julio.

_Xander looks a little nervous, second-guessing himself a little bit._

Xander- I don't know… maybe we shouldn't do this here. I don't want it to happen in front of Julio.

Amaru- What, like he wouldn't want to see me save him?

Xander- I'm just trying to-

_He sees something that makes him pause._

Xander- Get away from me. Quickly.

Amaru- What do you-

Xander- Go!  


_Amaru takes the hint and runs away just before Karasu and Julio jump up beside Xander._

Karasu- Xander! How did this happen! Half of our guard is missing!

_Xander lies quickly._

Xander- I know, I know. They just kept attacking. I tried my best. We'll stage rescue missions tomorrow.

Karasu- Who cares about tomorrow? We need to fight _now_.

Xander- Sorry. I didn't want to interrupt your game. You two looked _adorable_ playing together.

Julio- I won Connect-Four!  


_Xander smiles._

Xander- You did? Good job!

Karasu- Xander! Help me rally the troops _now_!

_Xander nods._

Karasu- Julio…

_They turn to the side only to find Julio missing._

Karasu- Where did he go?

Xander- Um…

_Xander points down and Karasu turns to see Julio leaping towards the raging battle._

Karasu- Are you _serious_?! I hate children so much!  


Xander- Well, then just let him charge in there alone if you hate him so much.

_Karasu gives Xander a dirty look._

Karasu- Go help him.

_Xander grins as he goes to leap down._

Xander- Odd words from a supposed child-hater.

Karasu- Shut uuuuuuuup!

_Xander leaps down. Karasu observes the battlefield and is about to leap down themselves before a voice calls out._

Amaru- Karasu!

_Karasu turns sharply to see Amaru standing on a nearby niche. They immediately pull out their sword._

Amaru- Woah, woah. I just want to have a talk.

_Karasu silently starts to walk towards him. Amaru sighs._

Amaru- Well, I guess nobody said we can't talk _and_ fight.

_We cut to the ground, where Charlie and Richard are battling Xander and Julio. Charlie ties up Xander's arm and pulls him close._

Charlie- We took out quite a few of your soldiers. I was disappointed we didn't see you.

_Xander tries to reply, but his hands are literally tied. He gestures with his eyes, and Charlie's eyes go wide._

Charlie- Oh! I'm sorry. I didn't mean to-

_He quickly unties Xander._

Xander- Wow. Didn't realize you were an _ableist_. The universe took my ability to speak and now you want to take my ability to sign?

Charlie- Erm…

_Charlie doesn't know how to respond until Xander kicks him back, smirking._

Charlie- Ugh… you just _had_ to use the trump card, didn't you?

_Xander looks at him innocently._

Xander- I have _no_ idea what you're talking about. I was genuinely concerned for my ability to sign.

_Charlie rolls his eyes as they continue to fight. Richard and Julio (wearing his mask) pass them as they swordfight._

Richard- You're that new recruit?

Julio- And future leader!

_Richard rolls his eyes._

Richard- We all think that at some point, kid.

_Julio gets a bit angry, and kicks Richard's wrist, sending his sword out._

Richard- Argh.

_He grabs his wrist, but Julio's rushing at him. Richard is forced to pick up his sword with his left hand, and to both combatants' surprise, he's able to hold his own. Charlie smirks as he and Xander pass Richard._

Charlie- Looks like you're a little better with your left hand!

_Richard nods, then realizes what he means._

Richard- No! I will _not_ admit you were right to make me do those stupid challenges!  


_Charlie laughs as he knocks Xander away._

Charlie- Too late, bud.

_Richard groans as he and Charlie take on Julio together. Charlie sings._

Charlie- I am always ri-ight! I am always ri-ight!

_We cut to Amaru trying to hold Karasu off as they viciously attack him._

Amaru- I get it, you want to win the war. But-

_He fends off their strike._

Amaru- But you can't capture Julio and lie to him!

_Karasu leaps over him and kicks him back._

Amaru- You're just using him!  


_Karasu's eyes widen._

Karasu- You don't know _anything_!

_They advance on him as he tries to block their strikes with his bow._

Amaru- I'm trying to do what's best for-

Karasu- You just know what's best for _everyone_ , don't you? Oh, wait, no! You thought you knew what was best for me, but you didn't! I thrived with the Nightfeathers, and look at me now!  


Amaru- Su-

Karasu- Don't _call_ me that! And don't lecture me about the kid! You knew him for all of a day! He's been _here_ for longer, and he's thriving too! He likes us! He… he likes me!

_Amaru falters for a second._

Amaru- Karasu, you just need to-

Karasu- Argh, shut _up_!

_Karasu sweeps Amaru's legs, repeatedly smashing their blade down on his bow. They're panting heavily, but they stop when they hear a cry from the battlefield. They whirl around to see Xander crumpled against a wall and Julio backed into a corner by Charlie and Richard. Without hesitation, Karasu leaps down to help him, leaving Amaru to watch. Amaru breathes heavily, and we cut between shots of his face and Karasu helping Julio fight off Richard and Charlie. Eventually, Richard turns to Charlie._

Richard- Sir, we can't afford to keep fighting. Our troops aren't built for a sustained battle.

_Charlie looks over at Julio, who is very much not with Amaru._

Charlie- But…

_He sighs._

Charlie- You're right. We have to protect our tribe.

_Charlie whistles, and the Sunlions retreat. Julio almost pursues them, but Karasu holds him back. They look up to see Amaru retreating into a tunnel. They lock eyes for a second before Amaru disappears from sight. We cut to Charlie, Richard, and Amaru meeting in a hallway. Amaru is looking down, clearly thinking._

Richard- Well, we managed to take a decent amount of prisoners today.

Charlie- Yeah, prisoners that will probably be rescued within the week.

Richard- At least we sent a message.

Charlie- Richard Robinson being positive? Never thought I'd see the day!  


_Richard rolls his eyes._

Richard- Keep talking and I'll go back to the negatives.

_Charlie looks at Amaru._

Charlie- Um… Amaru? You okay, bud?

_Amaru nods._

Charlie- Hey, I know we didn't get the kid, but maybe we can do something again sometime. But for now, maybe we should focus on the Redclaw shipment.

Amaru- It's… it's okay. I know what I have to do.

Richard- Erm… and what's that?

_Amaru and Charlie glance at Richard._

Richard- What? I'm not part of the gang?

Charlie- Please never refer to us as the gang again.

Amaru- _Anyway_ … Karasu was… a bit emotional. They wouldn't listen, they just wanted to fight. So… I just need to talk to them somewhere where we can't fight.

Charlie- I catch your drift.

Richard- I also… catch your drift.

Charlie- Uh, you don't say that. _I_ say that. I'm the chill, cool, one. You're the uptight, frustrated one.

_Amaru laughs at that._

Amaru- I'll see you two tomorrow!

Charlie- See you!  


_He and Richard walk off, chatting amicably. As Amaru rounds a corner, we fade to him outside of school in the evening, wearing a coat and scarf. He walks up to the door of a house and knocks on it. After a little bit, the door opens, and we see Karasu wearing casual night clothes. Their hair is no longer spiked up and the black dye has washed out, revealing sandy blonde hair underneath. However, their sword is still slung over their bag. Karasu sees Amaru and goes pale, trying to slam the door. Amaru holds the door open, grinning._

Amaru- Did I catch you right after a shower?

_Karasu flushes with embarrassment but scowls._

Karasu- Obviously. What do you want?

Amaru- What, friends aren't allowed to come over anymore? What about those sleepovers we used to have?

Karasu- You mean the ones where you baked enough for twenty people?

_Amaru chuckles, and Karasu can't help but smile a little bit._

Amaru- Karasu…we're outside of school. We can't fight, so would you at least listen?

Karasu- Do I have a choice?

Amaru- Admittedly, no.

_Karasu sighs, walking outside._

Amaru- I… I misjudged you.

Karasu- Oh?

Amaru- I thought you were just using Julio as some new weapon to help you out. I… was wrong.

_Karasu turns away and is silent for a second._

Karasu- It started that way…

_A pause._

Amaru- He is sweet, isn't he?

Karasu- …yeah.

_Awkward silence._

Amaru- So, um…

Karasu- Did you just come here to apologize or what?

Amaru- I think you know why I came here.

Karasu- You're not getting the kid back. He's one of ours now.

Amaru- I'm not asking you to give him back.

_Karasu looks back, surprised._

Karasu- Um… what?

Amaru- I just want you to tell him the truth and let him make his own decision. Tell him that I _didn't_ abandon him and that you _lied_ to him.

_Karasu twitches a little bit._

Karasu- No.

Amaru- You're my friend. You know what the right thing to do is.

Karasu- He's happy now. Why do you want to take that from us?

Amaru- From _us_?

Karasu- Shut up. You just want him under _your_ thumb instead of mine.

Amaru- You _know_ that's not true.

_A pause._

Karasu- Just like you wanted _me_ under your thumb.

_Amaru looks at Karasu, shocked._

Amaru- What are you _talking_ about?

Karasu- Back when I was with you and Biters! Don't you remember?

Amaru- That's not what we're-

Karasu- You kept telling me that I was going to do great things, but you never let me do _anything_.

Amaru- I was just training-

Karasu- You didn't know anything! You thought that you could keep me down but you couldn't!  


Amaru- You just weren't ready!  


_Karasu snaps._

Karasu- Well, I'm ready now!

_They pull their sword from their back, turning around and slashing at Amaru. He dodges back, gasping. Karasu looks at the sword in their hands, realizing what they just did. Amaru holds up his hands._

Karasu- I-

Amaru- Put the sword down, Su. We both know the rules. Stop now, and I won't report it.

_There's a momentary pause, but Karasu's already made their decision. Yelling, they leap towards him, and he's forced to defend himself. He pulls out his bow to block their strikes._

Amaru- Stop this!  


Karasu- Argh!  


_They jump up and kick him, sending him stumbling back in their yard. He growls, pulling out an arrow and firing it at the advancing Karasu. They leap over it only to be hit by another as they land. Amaru charges towards them, and they clash around the yard, slamming against fences and trash cans. There's repressed anger in both of their expressions. Eventually Amaru slings his bow around Karasu's neck, spinning around and sending them reeling into a fence._

Karasu- Ah!

_They growl, leaping at Amaru and grabbing the scruff of his jacket. Both of them disappear in a cloud of smoke, reappearing on a nearby roof as Karasu grunt and tosses Amaru in front of them. Before he can get his footing, they're already on him, viciously slashing down. He manages to get ahold of himself, yelling as he knocks Karasu's sword flying from his hands. Karasu is shocked for a second as Amaru backs up, and raises their fists._

Amaru- _Enough_.

_Karasu starts to run towards them, and Amaru reluctantly fires an arrow at them. They grunt from the poison and move a bit more slowly. Amaru fires again and again and again, until eventually Karasu collapses, gasping._

Karasu- No…no.

_Amaru stands up, starting to walk away._

Karasu- Wait! This isn't done!

_Amaru looks at them sadly._

Amaru- I'll see you at school.

_He jumps down from the roof, leaving Karasu groaning on the roof. They let out a yell that contains a_ lot _of emotions._

_End episode._


	45. Tribes of the Valley S1E6

**Episode Six: Howaitogādo**

Synopsis: Amaru opens a lawsuit; Lupa gets aggressive; Julio and Xander go behind enemy lines.

_We open on Amaru walking to school cautiously. It's early morning, and his eyes dart from side to side. We see him walking from various angles: high from a roof, in the middle of an alley, et cetera. Then we cut to Karasu pacing around Nightfeather headquarters angrily while Xander stands by, bemused._

Karasu- You sent them out?

Xander- That's the fourth time you've asked that today. The answer is still yes.

Karasu- _Don't_ be testy with me today, Xander. I'm not in the mood.

Xander- Note taken. I'll be sure to keep that in mind.

_A pause._

Karasu- What did you do with the kid?

Xander- Sent him off to training. I knew you'd be in a bad mood today.

Karasu- How's that?

_Xander rolls his eyes._

Xander- I've been more clued in to our information network than you these past couple days.

Karasu- You know that I've had bigger things to focus on.

Xander- Like breaking Valley rules?

_In a flash, Karasu sweeps Xander's legs from under him, planting their foot on his chest. He looks up, alarmed._

Karasu- Come on. We are _not_ letting Amaru get to the White Guard.

_We cut to Amaru approaching the courtyard of Maple Valley, almost at school property. He fingers his bow as he prepares to ascend the final step. He swiftly steps up and fires four arrows in multiple different directions. There's silence for a moment, then four Nightfeathers fall down, unconscious. Amaru looks from side to side and rushes inside the school. We follow him down the halls as shadows flit around him. Suddenly, he reaches something we've never seen in Maple Valley: a massive pair of white gilded doors. There's a keypad on the side, and Amaru quickly types in a code. The doors swing open, and he rushes in. However, two figures dart inside before the doors close. Inside the doors, the environment is radically different and the space is larger than one would expect. Gleaming white pillars stretch downwards, and the floor, walls, and ceiling are all made of marble._

Amaru- Woah…

_As Amaru walks down the hallway, he passes pictures of previous leaders of the four tribes. At the end, there's a marble statue of an imposing figure with four arms, each arm wielding one of the tribes' weapons. Amaru looks up in awe._

Amaru- The Warrior Supreme…

_Amaru hears a rustling behind him and freezes._

Amaru- You know we can't fight in the White Parliament.

_Karasu and Xander jump down to the ground behind him._

Karasu- And?

Amaru- I don't think you want to redden your ledger even more. Your punishment will be even more severe.

Karasu- Not if nobody reports me.

Amaru- You brought this on yourself.

_A pause._

Karasu- You know… Julio _really_ wanted to come with us.

_Xander signs at his side to Karasu._

Xander- What are you doing?

_Amaru takes a deep breath, still not turning around._

Amaru- You're lying.

_He starts to walk forwards, but Karasu keeps talking._

Karasu- What, you think he's attached to you? You barely spent any time with him, and you expect him to care about you? All you ever did was hold him back. _We're_ his real family.

_Amaru grits his teeth._

Amaru- He only cares about you because you're _lying_ to him.

_Karasu narrows their eyes._

Karasu- You should try it sometime. Maybe then he wouldn't _hate_ you as much.

_Amaru snaps, turning around and firing an arrow. Karasu leans to the side and it flies past their shoulder. They smirk._

Karasu- Looks like you initiated.

_They rush at Amaru, and Xander sighs._

Xander- I guess we're doing this.

_He rushes forward as well, and they clash with Amaru. Their grunts and weapons are the only sounds as we see their clash in the middle of the large marble room. Amaru quickly kicks Xander to the side and clambers up the massive statue, shooting down at the two. Karasu growls, swinging from one of the arms and kicking Amaru to the ground._

Amaru- Agh!  


_He manages to land with a somersault, firing a well-aimed shot up at Karasu. However, Xander leaps in front of it at the last second, falling to the ground with a grunt._

Karasu- Xander!

_Karasu rushes at Amaru, beating down on his bow until it flies out of his hands and across the room. He stumbles back, and Karasu glares at him._

Amaru- Just _why_?

_Karasu falters._

Karasu- W-what?

Amaru- Why are you doing this? Why are you _being_ like this?

Karasu- I…

_Suddenly, they are hit by poisoned arrows from all sides. They remain standing, but they're staggering._

Karasu- Gah!

_Amaru stands up straight as Jadebiters emerge drop down from the roof. Karasu grits their teeth and raise their blade. Amaru rushes past them, and they attempt to follow him, but the other soldiers occupy their attention. He opens the doors to the next room, and walks in. He is immediately accosted by guard clad in white robes and masks._

Amaru- Ah!  


_He raises his hands._

Amaru- I'm just here to speak with-

_A voice rings out._

Parliamentarian- Me?

_The guards part to reveal the Parliamentarian, a small figure in a long gilded white robe and a silver faceless mask._

Amaru- You're the Parliamentarian…

Parliamentarian- Evidently.

_They touch the nearest wall, revealing it to be a touchscreen. They scroll through some files, eventually pulling up Amaru._

Parliamentarian- Ah, here you are.

Amaru- You have technology?

Parliamentarian- The Parliament isn't beholden to the same rules as you rabble. It says here you're the current leader of the Biters?

Amaru- That's correct, yes.

_The Parliamentarian touches a button and a desk whirs in, the floor becoming a sort of conveyor belt. They sit down and look at Amaru._

Parliamentarian- And what brought you here? The White Guard don't exactly enjoy having their time wasted.

_They gesture to the masked guards who are standing by._

Amaru- I've come to report a rules infraction.

Parliamentarian- Oh? It's been quite a while since we punished a rule-breaker. I know who you're referring to, of course.

Amaru- You do?

_The Parliamentarian reaches for the touchscreen again, pulling up Karasu's file._

Parliamentarian- The Guard has eyes everywhere. Karasu Kobayashi, current head of the Nightfeathers. You wish to accuse them of what, exactly?

Amaru- You just said that you had eyes everywhere. Isn't it obvious?

Parliamentarian- I have examined all recent footage I assume you refer to when you make your accusation. I have found no behavior worthy of a punishment.

Amaru- _Excuse me?_ I think you need to look again.

_The Parliamentarian touches the screen again and footage of Karasu and Amaru's battle from last episode, as well as their battle just previously._

Amaru- See? They're attacking me off of school property!  


Parliamentarian- And yet, you're attacking as well.

Amaru- They started it!  


Parliamentarian- Yesterday. You fired the first shot today.

Amaru- They provoked me! I was defending myself.

Parliamentarian- One could make the argument that _you_ provoked them yesterday. A true follower of the Valley's rules would not have fought back unless dangerous weaponry was involved. If you had just taken a little punishments without complaint, then this report would be valid.

Amaru- In the rules, it says that it is punishable to attack another Valley student with intentions to advance one's or one's tribe's own standing.

Parliamentarian- That's the crux of the argument, isn't it? However, after analyzing the two of you, we've determined that your primary motivation for aggression was _not_ to advance your tribes' standing.

Amaru- W-what do you mean?

_The Parliamentarian touches the screen again, and multiple pictures zoomed in on Amaru and Karasu's faces appear._

Parliamentarian- Emotion. That's the core drive here. That's not to say the Parliament approves of these actions, but not enough to enact punishment. We'll send a warning to your school emails in the morning.

Amaru- You can't do this!

Parliamentarian- Actually, that's incorrect.

Amaru- Karasu kidnapped Julio!

Parliamentarian- That's well within their power.

_Amaru aims his bow at the Parliamentarian. The White Guard all raises their weapons, and Amaru slowly lowers it._

Parliamentarian- I'll excuse that for now. Leave immediately. You have no more business in the Parliament.

_Amaru turns around and angrily walks out. When he exits, he sees his Biter soldiers unconscious on the ground, and Karasu and Xander are gone. His eyes narrow and he walks over to help them up. We cut to Charlie and some other Sunlions performing a peppy dance routine._

Charlie- Put some pep in your step!

_He dances with two other Sunlions, one on each side, before spinning them out of frame._

Charlie- Kick line!  


_The Sunlions perform a kick line as Charlie stands solemnly in front of them._

Charlie- Join our team. Join our family. Join the Sunlions today.

_We see Richard stop recording with an old time camera in front of them with a sigh._

Charlie- Did you get my good side?

Richard- I'm not sure. Which one's your bad side?

_Charlie winks._

Charlie- Exactly.

Richard- Ew. Shouldn't we be planning a raid or something. We've gained some territory, but not nearly enough to swing this war.

Charlie- Recruitment is important, Richie. I mean, we need all the rookies we can get to cover your complete lack of discernable talents.

_Richard chokes, aghast._

Richard- _Excuse me_?

Charlie- I'm kidding, I'm kidding. I'll always need _someone_ to annoy. We're nemesis soulmates!  


Richard- I hate you.

Charlie- And I love that you hate me! Plus, don't discount the work I'm doing. Editing this recruitment video will lose me, like, two hours of sleep!  


Richard- You get more than two hours of sleep?

Charlie- Sure I do! What do you have to do that you can't sleep.

Richard- Think about how much I hate you.

Charlie- Ugh, you're _obsessed_ , aren't you.

_Richard buries his face in his hands and walks away._

Richard- Come on, Lions! I'm leading a raid on the Redclaws!

Charlie- Hey! You can't go without me!  


Richard- I can and I am!

Charlie- Not if I come with you!

_Richard groans._

Richard- Do what you want.

Charlie- Yay!  


_We cut to Charlie and Richard fighting side by side in Redclaw territory._

Charlie- So, two whole hours? Really?

Richard- We're still on this?!

Charlie- Your single-minded loathing for me is really impressive.

Richard- There's just so many things to dislike.

Charlie- I'd love to hear them.

Richard- Well, there's your annoyingly white teeth when you smile, the fact that you're taller than me even though _I'm_ older, your stupid nicknames, the fact that you-

Charlie- Am about to save you _again_?

Richard- W-what?

_Charlie trips up an enemy right behind Richard, grinning._

Charlie- Well, that was illuminating.

Richard- Now, what do you hate about me?

Charlie- Eh. Nothing much.

Richard- Come on! I can take it!

Charlie- Nothing you do is worthwhile enough to really _hate_.

_Richard is incensed._

Richard- Argh! _Stop_ it!

Charlie- Hold on…

_They both look around and realize that they've battled_ way _too far from the rest of their groups._

Richard- We should probably get back to-

_They hear a loud yell from in front of them, and the Redclaws part to reveal Lupa. She's ditched the large shield and is wearing a FABULOUS battle-ready black leather outfit with a red half-cape._

Charlie- Hey, Lupes!  


_Lupa narrows her eyes._

Lupa- You think you can just walk into my territory and call me _Lupes_?

_Charlie rolls his eyes._

Charlie- Um, yeah? I do it all the time.

_Lupa points her spear at Charlie and Richard._

Lupa- I'm capturing you two _today_.

_Charlie and Richard both snicker, but they're cut off as Lupa's thrown spear slams into Charlie's face, knocking him to the ground. Richard looks at her, startled, but she's already running towards him, catching her spear out of the air and swinging it down at Charlie._

Richard- Sir!

_Richard intercept's Lupa's spear with his own blade, and they exchange a few blows before Lupa manages to knock him to the side. She raises her spear above Charlie, but he holds up a silver ticket._

Charlie- Super Special Friendship Ticket!

_Lupa falters._

Lupa- What?

_Charlie stands up, grinning, and hands Lupa the ticket._

Charlie- Remember, Lupes, we're starting it this year! We get one ticket per semester, and now you can't initiate a raid on us for the rest of the day!

_Lupa looks down at the ticket, clearly angry._

Lupa- You're _really_ doing this?

Charlie- Yep! The Lions could use a break, anyway!

_Charlie helps Richard to his feet._

Charlie- C'mon, Richie. Let's head out!  


Richard- What are we going to do today, then?

Charlie- Well, we're immune from the Redclaws, and Karasu and Amaru are at each other's throats. Let's have a fun boot camp!

Richard- A whole day with no one to talk to but you… how delightful…

Charlie- You could always talk to other Sunlions.

Richard- I'm _not_ talking to unnamed characters.

_Charlie snickers as he and Richard head back to the Sunlions and disappear down the halls. A Redclaw soldier walks up to a simmering Lupa._

Soldier- Lupa? What shall we do?

_Lupa slams her spear against the ground and growls._

Lupa- They're training… we'll train too. We'll be ready.

_A pause._

Lupa- We won't be _weak_.

_We cut to Julio sparring with four other Nightfeathers in their headquarters. He's clearly winning, parrying every strike and responding with powerful blows of his own. He knocks out three of them quickly, then points his blade towards the last one, who quickly raises her hands. Julio grins as he prepares to charge anyway until he feels a hand on his shoulder._

Julio- Huh?

_He turns to see Xander._

Xander- Hands up mean surrender.

Julio- Um, yeah. I'm aware.

Xander- And surrender means you stop fighting.

Julio- Surrender means _you_ stop fighting. I finish my enemies.

_Xander squints at Julio's face._

Xander- Are you wearing eyeliner?

Julio- WHAT ABOUT IT?

Xander- Nothing, nothing. Very interesting style choice.

Julio- But anyway, you don't get to tell me what to do.

Xander- Oh?

Julio- I bet I could beat you know. Strongest gets to give orders, right?

Xander- I wouldn't call you-

_Julio smirks and swipes at Xander. Surprised, Xander steps back and instinctively tries to sweep Julio's legs, but Julio jumps forwards, tackling him to the ground. Xander's eyes go wide in shock as Julio grins._

Julio- What were you saying?

_Xander angrily stands up and Julio stands there, clearly expecting praise._

Julio- Didn't I do good?

Xander- Show some restraint.

_Julio pouts, but Karasu lands next to them._

Karasu- Yes, Julio. You did very good.

_Julio beams._

Karasu- Xander, can you please get to the point?

Xander- I was getting there. Julio, we're going on a mission behind Redclaw lines.

Julio- Really?! Wow!

Xander- Should have been nicer to your mission leader earlier.

Karasu- _Actually…_

_Xander and Julio turn around and Karasu smirks._

Karasu- You won't be leading the mission, Xander.

_Xander's mouth hangs open and he glances at Julio from the corner of his eye. Julio gives an unapologetic shrug, and we cut to Amaru standing in front of a group of Jadebiters._

Amaru- None of you are prepared for what is about to come! I've been _lax_ with your training, but that ends today. Are you ready?

_A pause._

Jadebiter- Um… what exactly is about to come?

_Amaru glares at her._

Amaru- We are going to war.

Jadebiter Two- Um, aren't we constantly at war? That's kind of the point of the Valley.

_Amaru ignores him._

Amaru- Our first attack on Nightfeather headquarters is today. I'm preparing all of you.

_One confident Jadebiter steps up._

Jadebiter Three- With all due respect, sir, we should be focusing on the Redclaw shipment. It will be arriving any day now.

_Amaru sighs, lifting his bow._

Amaru- You could always challenge me for leadership of the tribes.

_A pause at the Biter goes pale._

Jadebiter Three- Um, n-no thanks. I'm good.

_We cut to Karasu seeing Xander and Julio out of headquarters._

Karasu- Good luck, you two. Oh, and Xander… make sure to follow Julio's orders.

_Xander grits his teeth and glares at them, but they smirk and walk back to face the rest of the Nightfeathers._

Karasu- Now, then…

_We cut back to Amaru._

Amaru- Now, then.

Both- Let the training begin.

_We intercut training shots of both groups. In one shot, Amaru observes a young Biter pulling back a bow._

Amaru- Pull it farther!

Biter- I…I can't…

Amaru- Do it!  


_They try to pull the bow string back farther and end up releasing the arrow in the complete wrong direction, hitting a wall. Amaru doesn't get mad, but instead pulls out his own bow and fires three consecutive shots at the target, hitting the bullseye with all three in a perfect triangle. He looks back to the Biter._

Amaru- Do it again.

_We see the Nightfeathers leaping from platform to platform in an obstacle course. One soldier stumbles back at Karasu lands in front of him. They swipe at him, eventually kicking him off and sending him falling onto the net below. They notice fingers gripping onto the board, and look down to see another soldier struggling to pull herself up. They narrow their eyes, grabbing her hand and tossing her down as well._

Karasu- Come on!

_We see both Amaru and Karasu fighting numerous of their own soldiers with just their bare hands. Amaru is throwing powerful blows while Karasu is more martial arts._

Amaru- What are you doing? Hit me!

_In the end, only one other soldier for each of them is left standing. They both run at their respective leaders, leaping up. Karasu and Amaru both jump higher than them. Karasu lifts their leg over their head and sends both it and their soldier crashing to the ground. Amaru brings down both of his palms to spike his soldier into the ground. Both land at the same time with a thud. Karasu and Amaru are left standing over their groaning tribemates, with angry and determined expressions. We cut to Richard dueling aggressively with another Sunlion._

Richard- Ah! En guarde!

_They fence across headquarters until Richard eventually disarms his foe. He chuckles, striking an arrogant pose._

Richard- Another victory! Unsurprising, but I _did_ expect a better fight.

_The other Lion rolls her eyes and walks away._

Richard- That's right, get back in line! Everyone gets their turn to spar with yours truly!

_He turns around only to find that there's nobody waiting to fight with him._

Richard- _Excuse_ me…

_He looks over to see a huge line of people waiting for Charlie._

Richard- You're kidding me.

_We see Charlie chatting with his opponent as he fights._

Charlie- And you've been stretching like I told you to?

Sunlion- Yeah! I feel a lot better now!

_Charlie looks over as he hears yells from the back of the line. Richard barges through, pushing others out of the way._

Richard- Out of the way!

_Charlie nods to his current opponent._

Charlie- Go take a break and stretch a little bit more.

_Richard walks up to Charlie as the other opponent leaves. Charlie grins._

Charlie- Just couldn't wait your turn to experience the Charlie?

Richard- What are you, a luxury perfume?

Charlie- I can be whatever you want me to be.

Richard- Th-that doesn't even… ARGH!

_Charlie snorts with laughter._

Richard- Just stop stealing my trainees.

Charlie- I think stealing's a strong word. Attracting, maybe.

Richard- Ugh.

Charlie- I have an idea.

_He grabs Richard's arm and holds it up, facing their tribemates._

Charlie- Tag team battle! Two of you guys against me and Richie!

Richard- Erm, what?

_We cut to Richard being dragged around the battlefield by Charlie's ribbon as they fight off two Lions._

Charlie- Richie, you used to be such a good teacher. How come nobody likes you anymore?

Richard- Must be a generational thing.

Charlie- You're, like, a year or two older than me.

Richard- I have an old soul.

_Charlie ducks under a sword strike from one opponent, pulling Richard over to him._

Charlie- You see, you just see what people are doing wrong. You've gotta see what they _could_ do right.

Richard- I don't follow.

_Charlie trips up both of their opponents with one sweep, then gestures to the other Lions._

Charlie- Look at our tribe. What weapons do you see?

Richard- Ugh, all kinds? There's…

_He trails off as he narrows his eyes, noticing an abundance of swords and whips in the audience._

Richard- I…

Charlie- You see it? They imitate us.

_Richard scoffs._

Richard- So now we're criticizing people for having good taste?

Charlie- It's not right for them, Richie. It's like when you tried to make me use a sword. Everyone has to find what's best for them.

Richard- You would have been _fine_ with a sword, but you just _had_ to be quirky.

Charlie- The point is, we have to help them find that for themselves.

Richard- So instead of subliminally influencing them, we'll directly influence them?

Charlie- Just let them try new stuff and check what fits.

_Charlie walks over to one of his fallen opponents and helps them up._

Charlie- That was pretty good, Sage. But it looked like your sword felt a little light in your hand.

_They stand up and nod slightly. Charlie smirks and pulls over a mace with his ribbon, handing it to them._

Charlie- Try this. Might pair well with your natural strength.

_They feel out the weight of the mace, smiling. Charlie grins before he's interrupted by a slow clap from Richard._

Richard- Oh, we _get_ it! You're a saint among men, a pure paragon! Sorry, let me get on my knees.

Charlie- Richie, can you _please_ put your grudge against me aside for a second.

_Richard pretends to think._

Richard- I'll consider it. Get me a written proposal by tomorrow.

_A pause, then Richard and Charlie both start laughing._

Richard- _Fine_ , you're right.

Charlie- I think you'll find I always am.

_Richard and Charlie nod respectfully to each other, then a messenger bursts in._

Messenger- Sir!

Richard and Charlie- Yes?

_A pause._

Richard- Oh… you meant him. Okay. That's fine. It's fine. I'm fine.

Charlie- What is it?

Messenger- The patrol just reported that the majority of Jadebiter forces are marching towards Nightfeather headquarters as we speak.

_Charlie purses his lips._

Charlie- The Biters _are_ our current allies…

_Richard holds a hand in front of Charlie's face to shut him down._

Richard- Sir, they're our allies when it comes to the shipment. We don't need to get involved with Amaru's personal conflicts any longer.

Charlie- But he and Karasu have been at each other's throats lately and-

Richard- Exactly! We can't get our tribe mixed up in that for no reason. We have to think of our own, Charlie.

_Charlie purses his lips._

Charlie- You're… you're right. This isn't our fight, and we're not picking sides.

_Charlie turns back to the Lions._

Charlie- Back to training, everyone.

_Richard smiles, strolling past Charlie to the other Lions. We cut to Lupa overseeing her Redclaws as they train with strong motions punctuated by loud yells._

Lupa- Play the non-copyrighted training music!

_A Redclaw presses a button on a radio, and a song that is definitely NOT "I'll Make a Man out of You" starts playing._

Song- You must be as fast as a specific body of water that flows! With an amount of strength approximating that of a tropical storm!

Lupa- Formation One!  


_The soldiers assemble in a formation with shields in front and spears poking through them._

Lupa- Formation Two!

_The soldiers form a human pyramid and pull pom-poms from nowhere._

Soldiers- Gooooo Redclaws!

Lupa- Formation Three!

_The soldiers form a kick line, and Lupa nods in approval._

Lupa- Good. Keep it up!

_The Redclaws continue training, and Lupa hears noises of exertion to her side. She walks over a pit in the ground, looking down to see Rita training as well._

Lupa- What are you doing?

Rita- Training, just like everyone else. What about it?

Lupa- You're not a Redclaw anymore. There's no need.

Rita- I'm more of one that you are right now.

Lupa- What is _that_ supposed to mean?

Rita- You remember the last line of our creed, don't you?

Lupa- Of _course_ I do.

Rita and Lupa- 'Carve your own path.'

Lupa- What does that have to do with anything?

Rita- You're not carving your own path anymore, Lupa. You're letting the Council lay one out for you.

Lupa- The Council hold the knowledge of the past! How dare you disrespect them!

Rita- Their fight is over. They need to stop meddling with us.

Lupa- What do you even know?! This is your first year!

Rita- But you saw something in me, didn't you?

_Lupa struggles for words._

Lupa- I…

_A voice calls offscreen._

TCM- Lupa!  


_Lupa turns around to see the three members of the Imperial Council (BigCM, TallCM, and SmallCM.)_

Lupa- Agh!

_She quickly gestures for a Redclaw to cover up the prison pit and runs over the Council._

Lupa- Hello! I'm here!

TCM- Evidently. We just stopped by to check in.

Lupa- Well, as you can see, we're currently in the middle of training!

SCM- Yes, thank goodness for that. I'm glad you've moved past the excessive decadence and frivolity we experienced last time.

Lupa- Oh, I am _so_ not into that stuff anymore. I didn't even watch the new episode of _That Girl_ this week.

_BCM grunts, but it's unclear whether it's approval or sadness._

SCM- Where's that new girl who was your second in command?

Lupa- Rita… betrayed me.

TCM- Well, we _told_ you it wasn't a good idea to give her such power.

Lupa- You're right. I should have listened to you.

SCM- Music to my ears. Come, let's discuss where the shipment will arrive and the best route to transport it.

Lupa- Of course.

_They walk over to another room, and we pan up to see Xander and Julio watching from a peephole in a tunnel._

Julio- That's it! If we can find out where the shipment is being delivered, we can send troops in advance.

Xander- Wow. How'd you figure that one out?

_Xander pulls a paper away from Julio's face that has the exact sentence written on it. Julio growls._

Julio- Okay, but it wasn't _just_ because you showed me that. Now come on, let's follow them.

Xander- I hate work, though.

_Julio opens the tunnel and jumps out, and Xander's mouth falls open._

Xander- Julio!

_Julio drops to the floor and skulks around in plain view of Redclaw soldiers like the idiot he is. He hums his own theme music until he's eventually spotted._

Redclaw- Hey! That's a Nightfeather uniform!

_Julio is quickly surrounded, and he fights off some Redclaw guards before being hit the back of the head and falling down. He looks up to find that he's been caught by Xander in Redclaw clothing._

Xander- I'll take this idiot to a cell.

Redclaw One- Good! Get to it and come back for training!  


Redclaw Two- I don't remember any of us being mute…

Xander- Oh, so the disabled are just _invisible_ to you?

Redclaw Two- No, I-I didn't mean-

_Xander drags Julio away as Julio whispers to him._

Julio- I had that.

Xander- The only thing you had was my pity.

Julio- Hey! I'm the leader of this mission!

Xander- Then act like it. I'm taking you to the cell where the Nightfeathers have a secret tunnel to get our prisoners out. It leads right by the room where Lupa is currently meeting with the Council. So…

_Julio takes way too long to figure it out._

Julio- Um… we can listen in on them!  


_Xander rolls his eyes._

Xander- Brilliant.

_They reach the cell, and Xander checks that there's no one around before pressing into the wall and opening a tunnel. He and Julio quickly climb in and it closes behind them. They crawl until they hear Lupa's voice._

Lupa- So that's where you're sending it?

TCM- Indeed. We've drawn out the route for you on this map. Transport the goods _exactly_ along this path.

Lupa- Of course.

SCM- Don't disappoint us.

Xander- Darn. Looks like we're too late. Well, better get back to base.

Julio- No way! We're not giving up!

_Xander rolls his eyes but drags Julio to another peep hole, pointing at the temperature outlet on the wall._

Julio- The temperature? What does that have to do with anything?

Xander- Look, kid, we could do this all again or you could just trust that I know what I'm doing.

Julio- Fine… as your leader, I'm commanding you to do… whatever you need to do.

_Xander quickly gets out of the tunnel, clambering across the ceiling until he hangs down and presses the temperature, turning it way down then smashing it. He quickly gets back to Julio._

Julio- I… I could have done that.

Xander- Maybe someday.

Julio- Okay, but what's the point.

_Xander points at a sign above a door that says 'Sauna' just as Lupa and the Council burst out of their room._

Lupa- IT'S FREEZING!

SCM- Turn the temperature up!  


_Lupa rushes over to the temperature control._

Lupa- IT'S BROKEN.

Lupa and the Council- AAAAAAAAAAH!

_BCM points to the sauna._

TCM- Good idea. Everyone change and get in the sauna while they repair the temperature!

_They quickly run behind curtains and their clothes are tossed over. They emerge in sauna clothing and head into the sauna. Xander grins._

Xander- Now let's go get that map.

Julio- I get to fight?

Xander- You get to fight.

_Xander and Julio quickly leap down._

Redclaw- Hey!  


_Julio swiftly takes him out and holds off the enemies and Xander rummages through Lupa's clothes and pulls out the map._

Xander- Got it! Now come on!

_He pulls Julio off an enemy and leaps back into the tunnel, quickly getting out._

Julio- Hey! Why'd you take me away!?

Xander- I got the map.

Julio- Oh, right, I almost forgot about the map.

Xander- You almost forgot about the whole reason we did this?

Julio- Hehe…

Xander- One more thing…

_He pulls out a yellow card with Charlie's face printed on it._

Xander- That was really fast. Anyone that got a good look at us will be dizzy when they wake up. So I'm leaving this.

Julio- What is it?

Xander- The Sunlion leader Charlie likes to leave stupid cards for every raid. We'll pin it on them.

Julio- Hold on! I'm the leader!  


_He snatches the card._

Julio- We'll leave this card and pull it on the Sunlions.

Xander- Great thinking.

_Julio tosses the card through the peephole, and they begin to crawl through the tunnel._

Julio- I did good though, right?

Xander- I plead the fifth.

_We cut to Amaru and the Biter army marching through the hallways of the school._

Amaru- Maqanakuy!

Biters- Maqanakuy!

Amaru- Maqanakuy!

Biters- Maqanakuy!

_Amaru starts to shout again, but the lights go out._

Amaru- What?

_He hears a yell, and by the time he lights a lantern, the Biter previously at his side is gone. Voice flit around and the Biters start to panic._

Amaru- Everyone calm down!

_He takes out the bulb from his lantern and manages to hook it to an arrow. He nocks it and fires it down the hallway, shedding light on the darkness ahead. It flies for a while before being caught by Karasu. They smirk._

Karasu- I assume your little lawsuit didn't work out? The White Guard never came for me.

_Amaru stays silent, and Karasu's eyes narrow._

Karasu- What? No jabs to hurl at me?

_A pause._

Amaru- Maqanakuy!

Biters- MAQANAKUY!

_The Biters all pull out their weapons and begin to run down the hallway._

Karasu- Sensou!

_The Nightfeathers leap from the shadows and the battle begins. Biters place down cauldrons full of poison, and the light flickers in and out. Amaru zeroes in on Karasu, firing arrow after arrow at them._

Karasu- Argh!

_They run at him, but he surprises them by blocking their swipe with a massive greatsword he pulls from his back. They stumble back from the blow, scrambling backwards._

Amaru- You started this! Aren't you ready to finish it?

_Karasu says nothing, gesturing for their soldiers to fall back._

Amaru- After them!  


_They rush down the hallway and enter Nightfeather headquarters only to find Karasu and their soldiers standing on the hanging platforms._

Karasu- Still willing to finish this, Amaru? You're on our turf now!

_We cut to Lupa and the Council rushing out of the sauna as they hear the yelling of battle from across the school._

Lupa- What was-

_She's stopped by the sight before her, the sight that Julio and Xander left behind._

SCM- What _happened_ here?

_BCM goes to pick up the card that they left behind and holds it up. Lupa's eyes widen._

Lupa- Sunlions…

_We cut to Richard and Charlie hearing the noise as well._

Charlie- Is that Amaru and Karasu? They must be fighting more than I thought.

Richard- Sounds like they're both _very_ occupied.

_He side-eyes Charlie._

Richard- Charlie… let's talk.

Charlie- Ooh, mysterious. I like it.

_We cut to Amaru and Karasu duking it out on the hanging platforms. Amaru still has Karasu on the defensive, but they know the environment better than him._

Karasu- Just _stop_! Why can't you just leave us alone!

Amaru- Oh, don't act innocent! You're a liar!

_Karasu yells and dips some daggers in a nearby cauldron of poison, hurling them in a fan at Amaru. Four people behind Amaru fall to it, but Amaru's immune and it has no effect. Amaru runs towards them and they lock blades._

Karasu- It hurt, didn't it? For someone to finally take something that was yours?

Amaru- Be _quiet_!

Karasu- Even back when I was a Biter, you always thought you were better than me, didn't you?

Amaru- You saw what you wanted to see!

_Karasu ducks under his swipe and kicks his sword from his hands. Amaru scrambles for something to fight with, and grabs a nearby length of rope. He tries to whip it at Karasu, but they rush towards him. They have a quick spar before Karasu jumps on the platform they're standing on, causing it to teeter. Amaru slips up and Karasu kicks him off the platform. He falls down the base, but Karasu notices the rope tied around their wrist._

Karasu- What the-

_They're pulled along screaming as well and they land with a thud in a niche of the wall next to Amaru. They rise to their feet to find Amaru wielding a curved sword. We cut to Julio and Xander rushing into headquarters._

Julio- Whaaaaaat?

Xander- I swear, I'm gone for _two_ minutes…

Julio- Look! There!

_He points up and the camera zooms in on Karasu and Amaru fighting, still attached by the rope._

Karasu- Get this _thing_ off me!

_They try to leap away, but Amaru pulls on the rope and slams them to the ground. Amaru then uses the rope to hurl Karasu over the nearest floating platform, leaving them dangling over the ground. With rage in his eyes, he grabs a pocketknife from his pocket and hacks at the rope, cutting it. Suddenly, Julio lands in front of Amaru wearing his mask, grabbing Karasu's arm and helping them up. Amaru's mouth hangs open._

Amaru- Julio…

_Karasu stumbles but rights themselves. They glare angrily at Amaru and look to Julio._

Karasu- Take that off.

_They pull Julio's mask off, leaving the three of them in a standoff. Amaru looks over the edge to see his Biters on the defensive, many of them knocked out. He grits his teeth and yells down to them._

Amaru- Retreat! Grab the unconscious and get out!  


_He turns back to see Karasu with a raised eyebrow._

Karasu- You think we're going to let you _retreat_?

Amaru- Me? No. I was planning on staying a while-

_He's interrupted by Julio striking at him, and he's forced to block it._

Amaru- Julio, stop!  


Julio- Argh!  


_Eventually, Amaru narrows his eyes and prepares to fight back, but he's stopped by Xander shoving him back. They lock eyes, and Xander holds an arm in front of Julio. Karasu joins them, and the three of them surround Amaru. Xander gestures with his head down to his waist, and Amaru looks down to see him trying to subtly sing._

Xander- Talk to him. Tell him the truth.

_Amaru nods and looks to Julio._

Amaru- Julio… you're angry.

Julio- Oh, you figured that out? Guess you're not as dumb as Karasu says.

Amaru- Wait, Karasu says I'm dumb?

Julio- Shut up!

Amaru- Look, Young Garcia, they're not telling you the truth. I didn't abandon you, I was tricked.

_Julio falters for a second, but Karasu jumps in._

Karasu- Oh, you're going to listen to him, Julio? This is what he does! He pulls you in with the nicknames and the nice words, but he doesn't take us seriously! He laughs at us!

_Amaru looks quizzically at them, but quickly looks back to a very angry Julio. He slowly puts his blade to the ground and raises his hands._

Amaru- Just come back with me. I care about you, Julio… I do. You're my responsibility.

Julio- I'm not anyone's _responsibility_!

_He throws a solid punch that lands firmly in Amaru's gut, and Amaru doubles over. Julio's face is completely contorted in pain and rage as he thrashes at Amaru over and over again. Karasu looks a little aghast at it, and they and Xander move to pull him back._

Karasu- Julio, stop! Stop it!  


_They eventually manage to pull him back, and Xander holds him back as he's virtually frothing at the mouth. Karasu quickly assumes a more cold expression._

Karasu- We… we have to let him go. We don't want his whole tribe and the Lions coming after us too.

_Karasu leans down to Amaru._

Karasu- _Get out_.

_Amaru breathes in shakily and stands up. He looks like he's about to say something, but just turns heel and runs away, entering nearby tunnel and disappearing from sight. Karasu glances at Julio, then notices Xander giving them a hard-to-read look. They just glare back, and we cut between Lupa talking to the Council, Amaru slowly walking through the tunnel, and Richard talking to Charlie._

TCM- You need to get them back for what they've done.

Lupa- I can't… Charlie used his ticket earlier today.

SCM- That's not a part of Valley rules… that's an agreement between _friends_.

_To Charlie and Richard._

Charlie- Do you know what you're suggesting? Amaru's our ally right now!

Richard- He's become too focused on his little feud. He needs a reminder, and the Lions need some excitement.

Charlie- Richie, you need to _stop_ talking.

_More Sunlions walk up behind Richard._

Richard- They're with me…

_A pause._

Richard- And they won't even know it's us.

_To Lupa and the Council._

TCM- Lupa… you don't do _favors_ anymore.

_A pause, then Lupa nods._

Lupa- I don't do favors anymore.

_We see Richard and Charlie leading their soldiers into Jadebiter headquarters, all of them dressed in Redclaw garb. Richard and Charlie take out the few guards stationed there, and Richard gestures forwards._

Richard- Take what you want!  


_We see Lupa slamming a Sunlion guard to the ground, looking around Lion headquarters to see no one there._

Lupa- There's no one here…

SCM- And?

_Lupa's eyes narrow._

Lupa- Trash this place!

_We see Amaru reaching the end of the tunnel only to find the soldiers he sent away earlier standing there. He pushes past them to find Biter headquarters completely trashed, with the word 'Redclaws' written on the wall in red graffiti. We see Charlie and Richard arriving back at their own headquarters to find it also trashed. Richard glances at Charlie and places a firm hand on his shoulder, saying something. Charlie's eyes narrow and he nods. We see Karasu sitting on a hanging platform as it rises to the top of Nightfeather headquarters, a dark look in their eyes. We see Lupa sitting in a throne as rows and rows of Redclaw soldiers stand before her._

_End episode._


	46. Tribes of the Valley S1E7

**Episode Seven: In Convivium**

Synopsis: Charlie hosts a dinner while the rest of the Valley has an overnight.

_We open on shots of the Valley's hallways, which are unusually quiet. Each of the four tribes' headquarters are more heavily guarded than usual, and there's no skirmishes or sounds of battle anywhere. Karasu, Lupa, Amaru, and Charlie are each sitting in their respective headquarters, each of them looking pensive. Richard approaches Charlie, smiling._

Richard- Sir, you've been rather quiet today, not that I'm complaining.

_Charlie manages a weak chuckle._

Richard- _But_ … you've shut down all my orders to send out the Lions and given no reason. I'm afraid that won't stand.

Charlie- Not every day can be nonstop action, Richie.

Richard- Sir, you do realize this is the Valley we're talking about?

Charlie- What is there to do, anyway? We're just waiting on the shipment at this point.

Richard- Excuse me? We could strike back at the Redclaws for _wrecking_ our headquarters and violating the weird peace ticket thing you gave Lupa.

_Charlie just shrugs._

Charlie- Don't feel like it.

Richard- Fine, then. We'll meet up after school to discuss plans. We can meet on that café on the corner of Pine and Oak?

_Charlie just shakes his head, and Richard looks disappointed._

Charlie- I've got plans tonight, okay.

Richard- I do hope you haven't forgotten your commitment to our tribes?

Charlie- It's one night! I don't have to think about tribal warfare _all_ the time!

_Richard lets it go._

Richard- Alright, then. I get it. But, if you don't mind me asking… what are you busy with?

_Charlie sighs._

Charlie- I don't even know if it will work. Clearly Lupa's willing to violate age-old traditions now, but this isn't about tribe stuff, so maybe-

Richard- What is it?

Charlie- Our dinners. Every month, my moms cook up a big dish for all of us to eat together.

Richard- Well that sounds… delightful.

Charlie- It is. I just hope that it'll make everyone stop making Valley business so _personal_.

Richard- Well, isn't it personal? This is our lives!

Charlie- It's just school, Richie.

_Richard gasps._

Richard- You did _not_.

Charlie- I mean, it's true. We all have hobbies outside of school!

_Richard looks back blankly._

Charlie- Oh, wow. That's unhealthy.

_Richard composes himself._

Richard- So… you're saying all four of the tribal leaders will be busy tonight?

Charlie- If I get my way.

Richard- Hm…

Charlie- You're plotting.

Richard- I'm ruminating. There's a difference. Besides, you have bigger problems to deal with.

_Charlie sighs._

Charlie- True. Just don't try anything funny.

Richard- I've never done anything funny in my life, sir.

Charlie- You can inform me of any plans you make tomorrow.

Richard- I'll be sure to do that.

_The bell sounds (Maple Valley doesn't have a school bell, it has a Notre Dame style church bell), and Charlie gets up._

Charlie- I'm out. Clean up the headquarters.

Richard- Ugh. You're the boss.

_Charlie walks out of headquarters, and Richard immediately snaps his fingers. A Sunlion messenger appears next to him._

Richard- We have a message to send to the other tribes. It's time for a schoolwide event.

_We cut to Amaru angrily sparring with some Biters, knocking one to the ground when he hears the bell. He slings his bow over his back and walks off._

Amaru- Maybe _something_ good will happen this week.

_We cut to Karasu leaping down to the bottom of Nightfeather headquarters, starting to walk out._

Julio- Karasu, where are you-

_Karasu throws down a smoke bomb and disappears, and Julio frowns. We see Lupa pacing around the prison pit._

Rita- So… are you going to go?

Lupa- W-what? Go where?

Rita- C'mon. You ranted for at least two hours about how good Charlie's moms' food is.

_A pause._

Rita- You should go. It'll be fun.

Lupa- Shut up! I don't take advice from prisoner traitors.

Rita- You're the one that decided to do her pensive pacing near the prison pit.

Lupa- Ugh.

_A pause._

Lupa- It's not like I have a choice.

Rita- Oh?

Lupa- If I don't come… his moms will come after me.

_We cut to Anna-May with her rifle over her shoulder looking up as Charlie enters the house._

Anna-May- Hey, sugar!

Charlie- Hey, momma.

Anna-May- I got us some fresh meat for dinner. Help me cut it up.

Charlie- You didn't poach from the local farm again, did you?

Anna-May- I don't believe in the concept of poaching. Animals can't be owned, Charlie.

_Charlie picks up his family's old, grizzled cat._

Charlie- What about Mitzie?

Anna-May- She can leave whenever she wants.

_Charlie nuzzles Mitzie._

Charlie- Aw, she just loves us too much, don't you, girl?

Anna-May- Less love, more cutting up raw meat.

_Charlie chuckles, putting Mitzie down and picking up a knife._

Charlie- Where's mom?

Anna-May- I think she said she was out getting some garnish for the dish.

_Virginia bursts in the door, covered in dirt and triumphantly clutching some herbs._

Virginia- Guess who uprooted the only known supply of this herb!  


Anna-May- You're so thoughtful, honey.

Virginia- The scientists begged me to stop. They said this herb might be the cure for all diseases.

_Anna-May tuts._

Anna-May- Don't they know that nothing gets in the way of a good meal.

Virginia- You reset the traps in the yard, right, sugarbear?

Anna-May- You know it. No cops are getting into _our_ house tonight.

_Charlie just chops meat silently._

Virginia- Char-Char, you're quiet today.

Charlie- I'm just-

Anna-May- What's on your mind, sweetie? You can talk to us.

Charlie- I-

Virginia- Charlie, talk to us, _please_. We're begging you.

Charlie- It's-

Anna-May- Charlie, we're your _mothers._ How can you-

Charlie- MOMS!

_They fall silent and listen attentively._

Charlie- It's just that the tribes have been fighting a lot recently, and the others have taken it so personally…

Virginia- Char-Char, the tribes fight all the time.

Charlie- I know, but-

Anna-May- Have I ever told you how your mom and I met?

Charlie- Only twenty ti-

_Anna-May and Virginia strike dramatic poses._

Anna-May- I was a Redclaw!

Virginia- And I was a Sunlion!

Anna-May- Our love for forbidden!  


Charlie- It really wasn't that big a deal.

Virginia- It was utterly _scandalous_. It was so dramatic, nobody _ever_ spoke of it!  


Charlie- Or maybe they just didn't care.

Anna-May- Nonsense, Charlie! The point is, you can't let Valley business get in the way of genuine relationships.

Virginia- That's why these dinners are so important! Everything will be fine, just wait.

_Charlie smiles._

Charlie- Thanks, mom.

Virginia and Anna-May- You're welcome!  


_Charlie sharply turns his head._

Charlie- Is that meat… still alive?

_Anna-May fires a quick shot from her rifle across the kitchen._

Anna-May- Not anymore.

_We cut to Xander and Julio hanging out in Nightfeather headquarters._

Julio- So I can just go home now?

Xander- That's what Karasu said. Guess your days of imprisonment are over.

Julio- It wasn't imprisonment! It was a training period!

Xander- That's called a euphemism, Julio.

Julio- Don't use big words with me.

Xander- It means-

_Julio covers his ears._

Julio- Lalala, I can't hear you!

_Xander rolls his eyes, but looks up as the Sunlion messenger enters, blowing a stupid bugle. Julio starts to pull out his sword, but Xander places a hand on his arm._

Xander- It's a messenger.

Messenger- The entire Valley has been formally invited to a delightful bonding overnight! No war, just inter-tribe discourse and friendship!  


_The messenger quickly leaves._

Julio- An overnight?

Xander- I'll pass. I have better things to do tonight.

Julio- Like what?

Xander- Study. Do homework. Be normal.

_Julio looks at him blankly._

Xander- That was a joke. I sign slightly slower when I'm being sarcastic.

Julio- Gotcha. So you're coming to the overnight? It could be fun to train with the other tribes… beat them into the ground.

Xander- Well, someone has to supervise you. And if you think this overnight is just about training, you're in for a treat.

Julio- But they said no war!

Xander- Charlie's gone for dinner. This is being organized by _Richard_.

Julio- Who?

Xander- You'll meet him and you'll hate him.

Julio- I'm sure I will.

_We cut to Karasu walking down the street to Charlie's house, dressed in more casual clothes. They look at a text they've just received from Xander, a selfie showing Xander and Julio with the caption 'Don't worry. We've got this overnight thing down.' Karasu furrows their brow, typing in 'Overnight?' They look at the selfie for a bit, smiling, before pocketing their phone only to find themselves staring right at Amaru._

Amaru- What are you-

Karasu- I'm invited to these too. Or did you _forget_?

_There's a tense silence as they both scowl._

Karasu- Relax. We're on neutral ground.

Amaru- Sure, because _that's_ stopped you before.

Karasu- It's stopping me _for now_ , so watch your mouth.

Amaru- What were you looking at?

_Karasu hesitates, but assumes a smirk._

Karasu- Just a little message from Julio.

_Amaru is visually incensed, but they're interrupted by Lupa walking between them._

Lupa- Out of the way, out of the way.

_She pushes past, wearing an incredibly boujee fur jacket._

Amaru- Lupa! We need to talk about-

Lupa- Uh-huh, uh-huh.

_She walks up to the yard._

Lupa- Let's see if I remember this.

_She walks in a very specific pattern up to the door, knocking on it. Karasu and Amaru exchange a glance and go to do the same. However, they jostle each other on the way and eventually take a wrong step, a net springing up and scooping both of them up._

Karasu- Agh!

Amaru- Thanks for that, Su.

Karasu- Don't _call_ me that!

Lupa- Looking great, guys!

Amaru and Karasu- Shut up!

_The door flies open and Virginia and Anna-May walk out._

Virginia- C'mon, y'all!

Anna-May- You've done this hundreds of times. Charlie!  


_Charlie walks out, slashing the net with a knife. Karasu and Amaru fall unceremoniously to the floor._

Virginia- Darn it, now we have to replace that net for when the tax collectors come for us!

Charlie- You said that you pay your taxes, mom.

Anna-May- Hey! We said we pay _some_ taxes. We didn't perjure ourselves.

_Charlie chuckles and helps Amaru and Karasu up. They all walk up to the door, and Lupa stiffens as Charlie walks by. Charlie gives her a slight side-eye, but smiles at her._

Charlie- Come on in, Lupes.

_Lupa eyes him._

Lupa- Uh-huh… yeah. Of course.

_The four of them all awkwardly walk in as Virginia and Anna-May bustle around. Karasu nudges Charlie, showing him their phone._

Karasu- Hey, do you know anything about this overnight?

Charlie- Y'know, let's just put away the phones.

_Amaru pulls Charlie aside._

Amaru- _Charlie_ , stop taking their side.

Charlie- I'm not taking their side. I'm just talking to them!

Lupa- How long is this thing going to last?

Charlie- Lupa! Nobody has _ever_ asked that about these dinners before!

Lupa- What? I want to get home at a reasonable hour.

Virginia- You kids used to spend the night!

Anna-May- _Anyway_ , in answer to Karasu's question, you'll leave once you finish all the food we made.

_The moms dramatically open the doors to reveal a table absolutely filled with all types of food. Everyone's jaw drops._

Amaru- My whole family couldn't eat this much…

Virginia- Warriors need lots of food! Now sit down and start eating up!

Anna-May- And can I just say how amazing it is that you all are bridging tribal gaps. Did we ever tell you how me and Charlie's mom met?

Charlie- Yes, mom! We're going to eat now!  


_They all walk into the room, still clearly awkward, and we cut to a tribal gathering in Maple Valley. Richard is waiting impatiently when Julio and Xander drop down from the ceiling._

Richard- Gah!

Xander- Years in the Valley and you still get surprised when someone drops from the ceiling.

_Julio snickers and Richard rolls his eyes._

Richard- Whatever. We're still waiting on the Redclaws and Jadebiters.

_A voice rings out and they turn to see a Redclaw entourage approaching._

Diana- Coming through!  


_Diana, a shorter girl dressed up in an ICONIC flannel jacket with shoulder pads, jeans, and knee pads, leads the Redclaws, holding a large sword by her side._

Diana- We're fashionably late, okay?

Julio- Who are you supposed to be?

Diana- Name's Diana. Lupa's second in command, people!  


Richard- What about that Rita girl?

Diana- She's old news! Guess Lupa finally saw that it was dumb to make a _first-year_ her new right hand woman.

Richard- What did Rita-

Diana- Uh! I only speak Redclaw!

_Julio whispers to Xander._

Julio- She's kind of annoying.

Xander- This is what happens when the leaders are all out of school. We get stuck with the B team.

Richard- Well, if you're here with the Redclaws, then who's leading the Biters?

Xander- Richard… don't you remember?

_The realization hits Richard._

Richard- Oh, _no_.

Julio- Xander, what's he talking about?

Xander- We have overnights a lot at the Valley, and every time we do… _he_ shows up.

Julio- Who?

_There's a loud crash, and everyone looks to see a massive hole in the wall. A large figure completely wrapped in fabric steps through. There's a pause._

Richard- Emilio…

Emilio- Overnight…

Diana- Nice of you to show up. You haven't been to school at all.

Emilio- Overnight…

_Richard eyes the massive club Emilio is carrying._

Richard- I can't help but notice that all of you brought weapons.

Xander- You did too, Richard.

_Richard glances at his own sword at his belt._

Richard- I'll have you know that this is decorative more than anything else.

Diana- Sure, Richie.

Richard- Ugh, please don't call me that. But anyway, I just wanted to make sure that you all know that this overnight is for _peaceful bonding_. No tribal conflict _at all._

_There's a pause, then everyone else bursts out laughing._

Emilio- Funny…

Richard- What?

Diana- You think we believe that for a second, Richie?

_Richard tries to sputter out a response, but deflates._

Richard- It's that obvious?

Julio- We're going to take all of you down!  


_Diana points her sword at Richard._

Diana- Don't even try to come for us. We're well defended.

_Everyone starts to walk away._

Richard- Wait, hold on! Emilio, you know our tribes are allies, right?

_Emilio says nothing and lumbers away. Richard groans._

Richard- Ugh… why does nothing ever work out for me?

_We cut to Rita in her prison pit. Diana looks over the edge at her._

Rita- Remind me who you are again.

Diana- Ugh! I'm the person that had your spot, and I should have had it all along! I don't know what Lupa was thinking when she trusted _you_ , but thankfully she's sane now.

Rita- Sane? She's not even herself anymore.

Diana- Sounds like someone's jealous that I'm by her side now.

Rita- Why are you here, anyway? School ended.

Diana- Oh! I guess this is your first overnight, too! It's a shame you'll spend it all in this pit.

Rita- It's not _so_ bad down here. At least it puts a decent distance between me and you.

_Diana curls her lip._

Diana- Whatever! I'm going to stop giving you fuel for comebacks!

_She walks away, and Rita sighs._

Rita- Her? What has gotten into you, Lupes?

_Above the pit, Diana yells at the Redclaw troops._

Diana- Get defenses prepared! We need to be ready for an attack!

_Rita is miming boxing in the pit when she hears something and looks up. Perched on the ceiling in a small niche is Julio. Rita narrows her eyes._

Rita- Hey! I see you!  


_Julio's eyes go wide and as Redclaw troops rush over to the pit, he dives down into it. He slips and trips on the way down, and Rita quickly stuffs him under her mattress._

Diana- What are you yelling about, prisoner?

Rita- Just trying to annoy you. Is it working?

Diana- I'm not going to dignify you with a response.

_The Redclaws around the pit dive away, and Rita lifts her mattress slightly, looking at a frazzled Julio._

Julio- Get away! I'll beat you up.

Rita- What are you doing away from your tribe, Nightfeather?

_Julio scowls._

Julio- I don't need a tribe to help me out.

Rita- Evidently, that's not the case.

Julio- I would have been fine if you didn't call me out.

Rita- You're lucky _I_ saw you, because I'm not your enemy here.

Julio- W-what?

_He gets out of the mattress._

Julio- Whatever, I'm getting out of here.

Rita- Wait!  


_Julio runs up to the wall and tries to scale it, but the walls are incredibly slick and he falls down with a yelp. The guards look down as Rita finishes stuffing him back under the mattress._

Guard- What was that?

Rita- Just trying to escape again, as usual.

_She pulls up the mattress slightly._

Rita- These walls are slicked so nobody can escape.

Julio- So, what, we're just stuck in here together?!

Rita- You're making that idea sound worse by the second.

Julio- Hey, I'm not happy about it either!

Rita- Trust me, I'll be a great cellmate!

_Julio rolls his eyes, then gets the wind knocked out of him as Rita sits on the mattress. We cut to the tribe leaders and Charlie's moms at the dinner table._

Anna-May- You all are eating so slowly. You're never getting out of here at this rate.

Virginia- Not that it's a bad thing. Take as long as you want!

_There's a pause, then Charlie pipes up._

Charlie- This is really good, mom!  


Virginia and Anna-May- Thanks!

Lupa- It's… okay.

Amaru- Lupa, don't be rude!

Lupa- I'm not! I said it was fine!

Karasu- That's a bit nice of you.

Charlie- Su! We worked really hard on this dish!

Anna-May- Do you want me to remake _everything_?

Virginia- We poured our _souls_ into this.

Amaru- I'm sorry, Charlie's moms. Some people don't know the meaning of common decency.

Charlie, Lupa, and Karasu- What is _that_ supposed to mean?

_Amaru looks confusedly at Charlie._

Amaru- I wasn't talking to you, Charlie.

Lupa and Karasu- Oh, but you were talking to _us_!

Charlie- QUIET!

_Everyone hushes for a second and pokes at their food._

Anna-May- So how's tribal business going, y'all?

Charlie- MOM!

Virginia- _Don't_ yell at your mother like that, Char-Char!

Karasu- Tribal stuff is going _great_.

Amaru- Oh, _is_ it?

Anna-May- We _never_ got this angry back in our day.

Virginia- Back then, it was all about love. Speaking of which, have we ever told you-

Charlie, Karasu, Lupa, and Amaru- YES!

Charlie- Stop yelling!

Lupa- You're yelling!

Karasu- Stop telling us what to do, Charlie!

Amaru- Yeah, we're not supposed to talk about this?

Karasu- You can't agree with me!

Amaru- Oh, do you _want_ to get into what you did?!

Karasu- For _one_ second, can you _stop_ poking your nose where it doesn't belong!  


Amaru- My nose is firmly nestled _exactly_ where it belongs!

Virginia- Do we want to ask?

Charlie, Karasu, Lupa, and Amaru- NO!

Lupa- Ugh, I'm leaving. Don't get me involved in your petty fights!

_She stands up, but Amaru grabs her arm._

Amaru- Oh, don't think you're out of this!

Lupa- What are you talking about?

Amaru- Oh, don't pretend like you don't know!  


Charlie- Guys, we _really_ don't need to-

Amaru- You attacked my tribe's base when we were off fighting a war yesterday! You call that honor?

_Lupa furrows her eyebrows._

Lupa- What?

Karasu- Are you _trying_ to make everyone hate you, Amaru?

Lupa- No, no, hold on. I never attacked you yesterday! I was busy.

Anna-May- Busy with what, honey?

Virginia- We love hearing about y'all's lives, by the way.

Charlie- You were busy attacking my tribe when _we_ were defenseless!

_Then there's a pause._

Amaru- Then who attacked me?!

_Charlie realizes what he's said and gulps._

Virginia- And why were you defenseless?

Charlie- _Mom_!

Amaru- Oh, you _didn't_.

Charlie- It wasn't my idea-

Amaru- You're the leader!  


_Charlie points at Lupa._

Charlie- What about _you_!? You've been acting totally off lately!

Lupa- Oh, shut up! I'm sorry I actually take stuff _seriously_!

Amaru- Don't change the subject! We're in an alliance!  


Charlie- Only over the shipment! God, am I quoting Richard?

Anna-May- No using the Lord's name in vain!

Lupa- I'm _leaving_!

Karasu- What, you wanna abandon your only friends just like you did Rita?

Lupa- _What_?!

Karasu- Oh, I've got informants.

Lupa- That's _none_ of your business!

Charlie- What happened to Rita?

Lupa- Butt out!

Karasu- Lupes locked her up.

Lupa- Don't call me that!

_Lupa throws some food past Karasu's face onto the wall behind them._

Virginia- Our authentic farmhouse walls!

Amaru- You _locked_ her up?

Karasu- What do _you_ think you're doing!  


_They throw some of their own food past Lupa. Lupa jumps on top of the table. There's a pause._

Lupa- Gah! I can't think of an appropriate quote! I'm too angry!

_Karasu jumps on the table themselves._

Anna-May- The silk tablecloth that we definitely didn't steal from the neighbors!

Charlie- MOM!

Amaru- I thought you'd back me up, Charlie! Don't you care about getting Julio back?

Karasu- Why should he care about helping _you_? You think you have some moral high ground, but you just want to own everyone!

Lupa- Or _maybe_ he wants to start taking the war seriously for once in his life!

_They all turn their heads towards Charlie, and he gulps._

Charlie- Guys… I-I don't… you're all really angry and-

Amaru- And you're _not_ angry!?

Karasu- Don't you care about anything?!

Lupa- Take a stance, Notch!

_Karasu and Lupa jump down from the table and all four of them eye each other. The tension almost reaches its peak when Virginia interrupts._

Virginia- You guys need to settle this!

_The kids turn to see Virginia and Anna-May holding the outside door open._

Anna-May- But can y'all _please_ vent your emotions outside?

_We cut to Richard in Sunlion headquarters, sitting in Charlie's usual seat and overlooking the tribe._

Richard- Remember, everyone… not a word of this to Charlie right when he gets back. He'll hear about it eventually, but we don't need him getting mad.

Sunlion- What, will he not approve?

Richard- No, he'll just be angry we did this without him. Charlie loves overnights.

Sunlion- So what's the plan?

Richard- Shush. We were doing a whole bit with dramatic pauses for emphasis.

Sunlion Two- Ugh, you sound like a Redclaw.

Richard- Well, that's just insulting. You would never say that to Charlie.

Sunlion Two- No, he would just be able to take it.

Richard- I'm _sensitive_ , okay?! Can we just plan an attack already?

All Sunlions- YES!

Richard- Fine, fine! The Biters are a little unpredictable at the moment with Emilio present, the Nightfeathers are on the opposite side of the school, and the Redclaws _did_ just attack us…

Sunlion- We get it, you want to attack the Redclaws. You're not exactly being subtle here.

Richard- Well, at least I'm trying to help us potentially take some territory. If Charlie was here, we'd probably be doing another boot camp!

Sunlion- I actually kind of liked the boot-

Richard- It didn't contribute to tribal conflict!

_A pause._

Richard- Besides… it'll be such a nice surprise for Charlie when he learns of it, don't you think?

Sunlion Two- But you said not to tell him…

Richard- I say a lot of things. Now, prepare yourself to march on-

_He's interrupted by a massive bang on the door, jumping in the air._

Richard- AGH!

_There's more bangs until eventually the door is battered open, revealing Emilio and an entourage of Biters. Richard's eyes widen._

Richard- Biters… to what do we owe the pleasure?

Emilio- Overnight… we fight…

Richard- I _love_ the energy you're bringing to the table and that even rhymed a little bit, but may I remind you that we're allies?

Emilio- We fight…

_Richard gestures and several Sunlions rush towards Emilio, but he knocks them all to the side with one sweep of his club._

Richard- Hold on! I'm sure we can work this out!  


_He slowly walks up to Emilio, dramatically brandishing his sword._

Richard- I challenge you to a-

_He screams as Emilio knocks him across the room, slamming him into a wall._

Richard- Ugh…

_He slowly gets up, striking a dramatic pose before running away like a little baby._

Richard- Everybody run!

_The Sunlions panic and run for it, the Biters and Emilio in close pursuit. We cut to Rita sitting in the pit, leaning against her mattress as Julio pokes his head slightly out from under it._

Julio- So you were just doing what you thought was best for her?

_Rita sighs._

Rita- Yep. She was just getting so intense and cutting off all her friends. I had to do something…

Julio- Look where that got you.

_Rita looks at him in surprise._

Rita- I don't regret any of it.

Julio- What? But she threw you in prison!

Rita- She's still my friend.

Julio- No! She's your enemy now! You should be trying to get revenge!

_He starts to get out from under the mattress, but Rita pushes him back in._

Rita- _You_ don't know what you're talking about, kid.

Julio- Don't call me kid!

Rita- You're gonna listen to me.

_She leans down to talk to him._

Rita- When someone cares about you, you don't just give up on them! You keep fighting because _you_ care about _them_ , too.

_Julio stammers for a bit._

Julio- H-he _doesn't_ care about me, though.

Rita- Who? I don't speak vague backstory, kid.

Julio- I don't have to talk to you about stuff! My tribe is coming for me soon anyway!

Rita- You sure about that? A little shrimp like you, they could probably afford to-

_Suddenly, there are yells from above, causing both of them to look up._

Diana- Nightfeathers!

_Julio looks smugly at Rita._

Julio- Told you so.

Rita- Shut up.

_A pause._

Rita- Let's get out of here.

Julio- But you said the walls were too slippery-

Rita- The guards are busy. I can finally enact my complex master plan.

Julio- Which is?

_Rita hands Julio a makeshift rope made of parts of her bedsheets._

Rita- Hold this.

Julio- Okay…

_Rita proceeds to pick up Julio and chuck him up to the top of the pit._

Julio- AAAAAH!

_He manages to grab onto the edge and pull himself up._

Rita- Now hold on to that rope!

_Still slightly frazzled, Julio digs his heels into the ground and holds on as Rita starts to climb up the rope._

Rita- Almost up!

_Julio looks around at the battle that's now raging in Redclaw headquarters, then he looks down at Rita and his eyes narrow._

Julio- You're the enemy…

Rita- Um, I'm the girl that just got you out of that hole!

_Julio shakes his head and slowly lets go of the rope._

Rita- You little-

_She begins to fall back into the hole, but she manages to grab onto the rope and throw it back up towards the surface. Julio walking away when he feels a force on his leg, looking down to see the rope wrapped around it._

Julio- Oh, no.

_He is pulled towards the pit and claws at the ground as Rita's hand finally grasps, the edge, pulling herself up. Julio scrambles back as Rita elbows a passing soldier, taking his axe._

Julio- Um, Rita, I didn't mean to-

_Rita knocks him to the side and starts to advance on him when Xander drops down between them._

Xander- Julio, are you alright?

Julio- Yeah, I'm fine, I'm fine.

Rita- You can understand his demonic hand gestures?

Xander- Learn sign language, you unaccommodating buffoon.

Rita- That looked vaguely insulting! AAAH!

_She rushes towards Xander, and they spar for a bit._

Rita- It was your kid that betrayed me after I helped him escape!

_Xander tilts his head._

Xander- Julio, is that true?

Julio- I-I… who cares?! She's an enemy.

Xander- Julio, you know we don't-

_He is interrupted by Rita elbowing him in the gut. Then she hears a yell from across the room and turns her head._

Diana- The prisoner escaped!

_Diana rushes towards Rita and Xander, and Rita rolls back, trying to avoid both of them._

Rita- Come on! Give a girl a break!

_They are all interrupted by distant yells._

Diana- What is that?

Xander- Is it a war cry?

Diana- No, it sounds more like a high pitched scream of terror and general cowardice.

_Right on cue, Richard and the Sunlions rush in screaming with Emilio and some Biters in hot pursuit._

Diana- Oh, come on! This room isn't made for such a large crowd! I need my personal space bubble!

Xander- By the way, your prisoner or whatever left.

Diana- What?!

_She looks to see that Rita has disappeared, turning angrily and tackling Xander. He jumps out of the way, landing by Julio._

Xander- Time for us to go.

Julio- What? But things were just getting fun.

Xander- No. It'll get fun when I'm on the receiving end of a nice guided meditation back at headquarters.

Julio- Ew! That sounds boring!  


Xander- Clearly you need some spiritual guidance.

_He grabs Julio._

Julio- Nooooooo! I don't _wanna_!

_Ignoring him, Xander claps his hands and the Nightfeathers start to retreat. We see Richard scrambling as he tries to rally the Lions._

Richard- Lions! Come together! We can-

_He yelps as Diana runs at him, blocking her strike but falling to the ground._

Richard- Diana, darling, surely we've got bigger things to deal with here.

Diana- That 'darling' just earned you at least six extra bruises.

_Suddenly, they are both knocked back by Emilio's club. They groan on the floor._

Diana- Okay, so _maybe_ we have a bigger problem here.

Richard- Yes! We can work together and beat Emilio-

Diana- Redclaws! Let's lock ourselves in the sauna!

_Richard's face drops._

Richard- What?

_Before he knows it, the Redclaws have all crammed themselves into the sauna and locked the door. Richard gets up, rubbing his head in exasperation. He examines the very one-sided battlefield as Emilio knocks Lions aside with ease. Triumphant music plays as he approaches._

Richard- Emilio!

_The battle pauses for a second._

Richard- This is between you and me!

Emilio- It's… really not…

Richard- Let's end this once and for all! I challenge you to a-

_Before he can finish his sentence, he is knocked several meters back into a nearby wall by Emilio. As he gasps for breath, the triumphant music cuts off._

Richard- Whatever. Retreat again!

_Richard runs screaming out of the room, followed by the other Lions. We cut to the four tribe leaders standing outside as Charlie's moms walk over to a shed._

Anna-May- A little training exercise to let out some emotion will be good for y'all!

Charlie- Mom, I'm really not sure-

Virginia- Here we go! Got some weapons!  


_She pours out an assortment of actual weapons, several of which have suspicious red stains on them._

Anna-May- Honey, I think these are the ones we used last week.

Virginia- Oh! That's my mistake! Kids, if an officer of the law ever asks you about these, they're just family heirlooms.

Anna-May- And clean these ones! They've got too much-

_She side-eyes the children._

Anna-May- Just clean them.

_Virginia nods and takes aside some of the red-stained weapons. Anna-May pulls out some foam weapons instead, tossing them to the kids, except for Charlie, who is wielding his usual ribbon._

Anna-May- There you are!

Karasu- No poison? Then you'll be easier to take down than ever.

_Amaru seethes at the insult._

Lupa- This is stupid. I want to go home.

_Anna-May hefts her rifle._

Anna-May- Alright! I'll fire us off!  


_She cocks the rifle and shoots the tree right next to Charlie._

Charlie- Mom! You're supposed to shoot it in the air!

Anna-May- Oh! My bad!

_She fires in the air, and Amaru and Karasu immediately go for each other, slamming roughly against trees as they clash. Lupa rolls her eyes._

Lupa- You guys have fun. I'm sitting down.

_She starts to walk away, but Charlie pulls her back with his ribbon._

Charlie- Come on! Just try it!  


_Lupa narrows her eyes._

Lupa- _Let go_ of me.

_Charlie doubles down, pulling harder._

Lupa- Don't say I didn't warn you.

_She pulls herself free and runs towards Charlie, slamming him in the gut with her spear._

Charlie- Oof!

_Anna-May and Virginia watch the fight as they sip on some iced tea._

Virginia- Were we that violent in school?

Anna-May- Teenagers are crazy.

_Karasu manages to knock Amaru's bow from his hands and kicks him in the face, sending him reeling._

Charlie- Hey! This was just supposed to help us let out our feelings!  


Karasu- Trust me, that's exactly what I'm doing!

_Charlie starts to speak, but has to roll to the side to avoid Lupa._

Charlie- Lupes, what's being _going on_ with you?

Lupa- I don't need to pour out my heart to _you_. You can't tell me what to do!

Charlie- I wasn't-

_He is slammed against a tree, and kicks Lupa back. He wraps his ribbon around Amaru and pulls him away as he rushes towards Karasu._

Amaru- You're helping them now!  


Charlie- What? No! I wasn't-

_Amaru fires an arrow that hits Charlie in the cheek. Karasu jumps on Lupa and they fight for a bit._

Karasu- It was a bad move for you to get rid of Rita. You're pretty low on friends as it is!  


_Lupa's nostrils flare and she slams Karasu onto the ground. Karasu gets up and starts to run towards her when Charlie pulls them back. They whirl around and kick him in the face, sending him to the ground. Lupa slams her spear down onto his stomach, and Amaru fires an arrow right into his chin that send him skidding into a tree. Charlie groans quietly, and the other three look at each other._

Lupa- Well, I'm leaving.

_She tosses the spear aside and walks away, past Charlie's moms who are visibly shocked at what's going on. Amaru walks away as well, and Karasu looks down at Charlie._

Karasu- Get up.

_They finally walk away too, and after a while, Charlie gets to his feet._

Virginia- Char-Char!

Anna-May- Are you okay?

_He walks past them, heading into the house and up into his room. He sits on his bed and grabs a walkie talkie. We cut to Richard hiding in a small room as he picks up the other walkie talkie. Charlie sighs._

Charlie- Hey, Richie.

Richard- Erm… hello, sir. How are you?

Charlie- Great… just great.

_Richard picks up on Charlie's feelings._

Richard- Well, um… whatever it is, I'm sure we can work it out tomorrow.

Charlie- How's it going at the overnight?

Richard- Oh, you know about that? It's… going really well.

_There's a crash on Richard's end._

Richard- Oh, God… they found us!  


_There's yells on the other end before it goes quiet. Charlie sighs, lying back on his bed and staring at the ceiling._

_End episode._


	47. Tribes of the Valley S1E8

**Episode Eight: Chapatiyaspa**

Synopsis: The Valley prepares for the incoming shipment in different ways.

_We open on Charlie trudging into Sunlion headquarters, where Richard is already talking to some soldiers. He sees Charlie and quickly walks over._

Richard- Sir! Me and the soldiers were talking and we think it would be _great_ if-

Charlie- Save the fancy words, Richie. What do you want?

_Richard rolls his eyes._

Richard- We need to send some spies into Redclaw headquarters. The shipment is coming in tomorrow, and we need to know their route.

Charlie- No.

_Richard sputters._

Richard- _Excuse_ me, sir?

Charlie- We'll be fine. We'll just get it when they come to the school.

Richard- Sir, surely you understand that we can't take any risks here.

Charlie- I'm the leader. I make the decisions.

_Richard's eye twitches._

Richard- But the tribe-

Charlie- Does what I say. Understood?

_Richard tries to place a hand on Charlie's shoulder, but he shakes it off._

Richard- I thought we were on the same page here, Charlie.

Charlie- I will lead this tribe to get the shipment. Until then, we're keeping to ourselves. We don't need to stir up anything.

Richard- The other tribes are in chaos. Now is the perfect time to-

Charlie- My _friends_ are in chaos, Richie. Can you just consider the world outside of this stupid war for _one_ second.

_Richard is taken aback._

Richard- You don’t care about the war?

Charlie- No, I do, it's just… it shouldn't be like this!

Richard- Like-

_They're interrupting by the yelling of troops as a Sunlion soldier rushes over to them._

Sunlion- Jadebiter attack!

Charlie- What?

_He rushes to the entrance of the headquarters, where a Jadebiter force is crashing against the Sunlion defenses._

Richard- Attack!

Charlie- Hey! I give the orders.

_A pause._

Charlie- Uh, sure, attack, I guess.

_Just as Charlie finishes the sentence, an arrow whizzes past his face, and he looks to see an angry Amaru coming through._

Charlie- Hey, Amaru! Um… you still mad about that whole 'us attacking you' thing?

Richard- He found out about that?

Charlie- I'm not great with secrets, okay!?

Richard- Amaru, darling? Aren't we allies?

Amaru- It's just like Charlie said… only over the shipment.

_Richard looks over at Charlie._

Richard- Ugh! You stole my line!

Charlie- I see it more as a thematically appropriate callback, but okay.

Amaru- Enough!

_He nocks and fires another arrow that Charlie has to roll to the side to avoid. Richard grits his teeth and charges._

Richard- Sunlions, rally!

_Richard runs right for Amaru, and Charlie runs after him._

Charlie- Richie, wait!

_Richard clashes with Amaru, starting off fairly even at close range and pressing in._

Richard- You think you can defeat us at our homeland?

Amaru- You or the Sunlions? I can certainly defeat _you_.

_He pushes back and fires an arrow that Richard barely avoids. Amaru nocks another, but his bow is pulled to the side and fires wildly by Charlie. Amaru glares at him._

Charlie- Stop it! We don't want to fight right now.

Richard- Speak for yourself, sir.

_He starts to run at Amaru, but Charlie trips him up with his ribbon._

Amaru- What are you doing, Charlie?

Charlie- Look, I'm sorry for attacking you and all, but you need to break it up.

Amaru- This is the Valley. All we do is fight.

Charlie- Well, not like this, okay!

Amaru- Stop trying to manage everyone else, Charlie! You keep saying that you're trying to help, but you can't be on everyone's side at once!

Charlie- Look, Amaru, I can try to talk to Su and-

Amaru- It's too late for that. The rest of the Valley has made up their minds, and you just want to stay out of it all!

_Charlie gets angry at that, and when Amaru nocks another arrow, Charlie ducks down, grappling Amaru's leg and wrenching it forwards, sending him crashing to the ground with a resounding thud. Amaru gets up, gesturing for his soldiers to move back._

Amaru- See you at the shipment…

_They retreat, and Richard goes to run after them only to be stopped by Charlie._

Richard- But-

Charlie- Not right now.

Richard- You know, sir, he was wrong. You _are_ taking action in doing what's best for the tribe.

_Charlie nods._

Charlie- He's lucky we're still honoring that stupid alliance tomorrow.

_Richard gives him a side eye._

Richard- Yes… very lucky…

_We cut to Karasu talking to Xander, Julio, and some other Nightfeathers in front of a map of the area around the Valley._

Karasu- Now that we know the location the shipment is being delivered to, we can plan our route of attack accordingly. Thanks for that, Julio.

Julio- No problem!

Xander- I helped, but whatever.

_Karasu draws a route from the school to an open field within the forest that separates Maple Valley from the residential areas._

Karasu- We'll cut them off in Quarren Field and take the shipment before they even get to school.

Julio- Yeah! I can't wait to get my hands on those cool weapons!

_A voice rings from offscreen._

Parliamentarian- Excuse me.

_The wall by Karasu opens up, and the Parliamentarian's desk appears on a conveyor belt, flanked by the White Guard._

Julio- Woah! Cool!

Karasu- _Not_ cool, Julio.

_They look at the Parliamentarian with gritted teeth._

Karasu- What's the occasion for the visit, Parliamentarian?

Parliamentarian- I couldn't help but overhear that you're planning on participating in tribal warfare… off of school grounds?

Xander- Well, we're screwed.

_Karasu holds up a hand to him, smiling at the Parliamentarian._

Karasu- We would _never_ do something like that, Parliamentarian.

Parliamentarian- Really? You're trying to lie to me?

Karasu- But I'm not lying. Fetch the history book!

_A Nightfeather runs off, and Karasu looks at the Parliamentarian smugly._

Karasu- When the rules of tribal warfare were instated, school ground was defined as any land that is owned by Maple Valley.

Parliamentarian- Don't explain the rules to _me_ , Kobayashi.

_The Nightfeather arrives with the history book, and Karasu flips to a page._

Karasu- As we all know, Maple Valley was once a castle owned by aspiring entrepreneur Jedediah Wrife before it became a school.

Parliamentarian- Do you take pleasure in continuously stating the obvious?

Karasu- Hold on. When Wrife's family became bankrupt and sold the castle, any and all land owned by them went with it. And Jedediah Wrife had a dog named Quarren…

Parliamentarian- I… I believe that's correct.

Karasu- Quarren Park is known as such because historical documents argue that the dog Quarren did, in fact, mark that area as his territory. According to Bylaw 227, any unowned territory marked by a dog is then owned by that dog's family.

Parliamentarian- Is that an actual bylaw?

_Karasu hands the Parliamentarian a sheet of paper, and they look at it._

Parliamentarian- Well done, Kobayashi. You've successfully found a loophole.

Karasu- You won't tell the other tribes, will you?

Parliamentarian- It's not my duty to meddle with tribal business. They won't hear a word of it from I or the White Guard.

_Karasu grins._

Karasu- Pleasure speaking to you.

_The Parliamentarian and the White Guard seal up the wall again, and Karasu turns to their tribe._

Julio- Woo! That was awesome!

Xander- And here I thought the reason you read history with me was because you wanted to bond.

Karasu- That shipment is as good as ours…

_We cut to Lupa facing down some very afraid Redclaws._

Lupa- You LOST the prisoner?

Redclaw- The overnight was extremely chaotic, Lupa. She managed to break out and-

_Lupa sweeps her spear at all of them, slamming them back. She marches out to her army of Redclaws, all of them standing at the ready._

Lupa- Attention!

_The Redclaws stiffen and gaze at her._

Lupa- Tomorrow, we seize the shipment. With those weapons, the Valley will be ours for the taking, and the red flag will wave over this school!

_The Redclaws cheer._

Lupa- March out today! Weaken the other tribes so they can't impede our success! And if you can find Rita Nzuyen while you're at it… be my guest.

_The Redclaws begins to march out in lines, but one group approaches Lupa._

Actor- A show while you wait here, Lupa?

Lupa- What? Why aren't you marching out with the others?

Actor- To be honest, we only joined the Redclaws because we heard it was a theater program and-

Lupa- Go! You're all soldiers now!

_She points her spear at them, and they gulp and start to scamper away._

Actor- Right, right. Of course, sorry.

_As the rows and rows of soldiers march out of headquarters, Lupa is left all by herself, looking down at the ground. However, after a few moments of silence, a voice speaks to her, seemingly from inside the walls._

Rita- What's happened to you, Lupa?

_Lupa's head turns sharply, and her voice is at first almost hopeful._

Lupa- Rita?

_She shakes her head and her voice becomes angrier._

Lupa- Traitor? Where are you?

Rita- I just want to talk.

Lupa- I love that for you, but I'm done talking.

_She slowly walks towards the wall, listening carefully to Rita's voice._

Rita- Why can't we just have fun the way we used to?

Lupa- This is war, Rita. It shouldn't be fun.

Rita- But it was. I was so nervous when my family moved to Ashmount, but you helped me get used to this crazy town. We watched movies… I read your soap opera pilot.

Lupa- I burned that pilot dramatically last night.

Rita- What? Now I'll never know what happened to Mariela after Carmen ran off with their daughter!

Lupa- Gotcha!

_Lupa jabs her spear at a part of the wall while slamming on a tile, opening a tunnel and stabbing at empty space._

Rita- Not quite.

Lupa- Agh! Why are you here? You… you should get off school property while you still can.

Rita- Nobody wants you to be like this, Lupa. You're ruining the war for your whole tribe.

Lupa- They don't have a choice!

Rita- If nobody enjoys this, not even you… then what's the point?

Lupa- I have to make this my legacy! When I graduate, I'll be one of our revered former leaders!

Rita- You're making everyone miserable. Who's gonna revere you?

_Lupa yells and continuously slams her spear against the wall in different areas, pressing on different tiles. After a while, she stops, waiting for Rita to speak._

Lupa- R-Rita? Where are you?

_When she receives no response, Lupa sinks to the ground, and we cut to some Biters fighting off the incoming Redclaw forces. One soldiers rushes to a door, opening it to find Amaru mixing a poison in a cauldron._

Biter- Sir! Redclaw forces are attacking!

Amaru- I'm busy. Fend them off.

Biter- But-

Amaru- Go!

_The Biter shuts the door and Amaru samples the poison with a spoon._

Amaru- Needs more emetic tartar.

_He goes to a wall of poison ingredients, but his eyes land on a shelf of files. One of them is sticking out, and he pulls it out and looks at it. Inside the file is a picture of a smiling Julio, with handwritten notes by it._

Amaru- I forgot about this…

_The notes read things like 'Lots of Potential' and 'Will Work With a Lot.' Amaru smiles slightly looking at it._

Amaru- He belongs here… with us.

_His expression hardens._

Amaru- We'll get him back.

_He looks at the camera._

Amaru- And no, I'm not talking to myself.

_He pulls onscreen a plastic skeleton holding a beaker._

Amaru- Michelangelo the Chemistry Skeleton was listening to me.

_We cut to Charlie and Richard fighting some Redclaws._

Charlie- Ugh, can we stop getting attacked for like a _second_ today?

Richard- You don't hear me complaining, sir.

Charlie- That's because you don't have a life outside of this, Richie.

Richard- I do too!

Charlie- Really? What hobbies do you have?

Richard- I, um… I'm a model for a line of sweater-vests.

Charlie- Really?

_Richard's head droops._

Richard- Only on my vision boards.

_Richard shakes himself out of it._

Richard- Whatever. I need to slap more people with a foam sword to feel better.

_He charges into a nearby group of Redclaws, and Charlie rolls his eyes._

Charlie- That guy needs some friends.

_His musing is interrupted by a group of Redclaws approaching him, and Charlie is backed into a wall as he fights them off._

Charlie- Can y'all not today? I had a really rough day yesterday. I sort of got beat up by my three best friends.

_There's a pause._

Redclaw- That does sound pretty bad…

Charlie- I know, right? Let me tell you all about-

_The wall opens up behind Charlie and he's pulled inside, the wall quickly shutting._

Charlie- AAAH!

Rita- Shut up, Notch!

_Startled, Charlie turns around and sees Rita crouching in the tunnel._

Charlie- Rita?

Rita- Oh, you recognized me. What an honor.

Charlie- Don't be snippy with me, Nzuyen. You're the one that dragged _me_ into a wall.

Rita- Whatever. I need your help, Notch.

Charlie- With what? And I heard you betrayed Lupa, what's going on with that?

Rita- I didn't betray her, I was trying to help. She's gone crazy!

Charlie- You're telling me. You should have seen her at my house last night.

Rita- All she cares about is waging war now!

Charlie- I feel you, Rita, but what do you need me for?

Rita- She pushed both of us away, Charlie. If we're going to change her mind, you need to help me sabotage that shipment.

Charlie- What? That shipment is everything to Lupes.

Rita- She needs a wake-up call!

Charlie- I…um… I don't know if I should interfere. What if she just ends up hating me forever?

Rita- You can't just stay on the sidelines forever.

Charlie- Rita… my duty is to the Lions.

Rita- My duty is to my friend. So is yours.

_Charlie purses his lips._

Charlie- I… I'll think about it.

_Rita huffs._

Rita- I'm not known for my patience. I'm leaving school, text me tonight.

_She pushes on a tile, opening up the tunnel and shoving Charlie out back into the open. Richard is looking down on him with confusion._

Richard- Are you going to tell me what exactly that was?

Charlie- I was just speaking with some sweater-vest agencies. They'd love to have you model for them.

Richard- Really!?

Charlie- No.

_Richard sniffles._

Richard- I hate you.

_Suddenly, a crow flies past them, dropping paper on the floor. Numerous other crows fly through the hallways, and we see Amaru picking up one of the piece of paper. We cut to Lupa reading one of them with an expression of fury on her face._

Lupa- The location of the shipment… they have the location…

_We see Amaru examining it._

Amaru- Karasu will be there… we attack tomorrow.

_We cut to the inside of Nightfeather headquarters, where Karasu is facing down their entire tribe._

Karasu- Someone shared our route of attack with the _entire school_. I'm only going to say this once…whoever did-

Xander- It was me.

_The crowd gasps and Karasu arches an eyebrow._

Julio- X-Xander?

Xander- Leave the room, Julio.

Julio- W-why would you do that?!

Karasu- He's right. All of you, leave.

_There's a pause._

Karasu- Now!

_The Nightfeathers shuffle into other rooms, leaving Karasu and Xander alone._

Xander- Would you like to hear how I did it?

Karasu- You typed up the route, copied it a hundred times, and had the birds carry it. It's not that hard.

_Xander deflates._

Xander- Way to steal my thunder.

Karasu- It's less about the how, and more about the why.

Xander- Am I required to give an explanation?

Karasu- My friend betrayed me to the whole school, so yeah, I think I'm owed an explanation!

Xander- You're going to lock me up anyway, so what's the point?

Karasu- Xander… please.

_Xander softens._

Xander- You're not okay, Karasu.

Karasu- I'm perfectly fine! Or at least I was before _you_ ruined everything!

Xander- You need your friends. And if you won't talk to them, then you can at least fight it out with all of them at the same time.

Karasu- That's flimsy logic.

Xander- This is the Valley. Every path leads to violence.

Karasu- That's one thing you're right about.

_They lunge at Xander, but he ducks to the side, dodging their barrage of angry strike before pushing them back._

Karasu- What, you're going to fight me now?!

Xander- Don't blame others for fights you start.

_They yell and leap at him, but he catches their shoulders and throws them to the side. They breathe heavily and rush at him, striking hard and fast over and over and over again. Then, in a flash, they disappear in a cloud of smoke and reappear behind Xander, kicking him to the ground and stomping down. There's a moment of silence before Karasu whistles and two other Nightfeathers appear to drag him to a cell. Julio runs out and clings to Karasu._

Julio- What are you going to-

Karasu- Don't worry about him, Julio… he doesn't matter anymore.

_Julio narrows his eyes and nods as Xander is dragged away, and we cut to Charlie sitting on his phone, his hand hovering over his phone. The contact name 'Rita Nzuyen' is on his screen. Charlie sighs and puts the phone down, but as he starts to lie down, his moms burst in._

Virginia- Snacks! Snacks! We have snacks!

Charlie- I'm not that-

_A large piece of banana nut bread is shoved into his mouth, muffling his speech._

Anna-May- Snack delivery completed! Dramatic exit!  


_Virginia and Anna-May run to the opposite side of the room and dive out of the window. Charlie chews on the banana nut bread, but he notices that his moms caused a picture on the shelf to fall down. He walks over to it and picks it up. The picture shows young versions of Charlie, Lupa, Amaru, and Karasu in the woods. As Charlie looks at the photo, we zoom in and cut to those woods on that day. Amaru falls to the ground, with Lupa triumphantly placing a foot on his back and lifting a stick over her head._

Lupa- Ha! I win!

Amaru- Where did you learn that move?

Lupa- I copied a scene from _The Pirates of the Mediterranean_.

Charlie- Y'all!

_Amaru scrambles to his feet and they look over to see Charlie walking over._

Lupa and Amaru- Charlie!

Amaru- Sorry, but Lupa ate all the chocolates.

Lupa- You shouldn't have left them out, then!

Amaru- They were to share!

_Amaru swipes a stick at Lupa, but she ducks. Charlie chuckles._

Lupa- Where's Karasu? Do they not want to celebrate me and Amaru going to the Valley this year.

Karasu- I'm right here…

_Karasu peeks out from behind Charlie's back, their hair not yet dyed black._

Charlie- Oh, Karasu! Show them the cool thing you can do!

_Karasu pulls their sweater over their face._

Karasu- I don't wanna.

Amaru- Come on! We won't make fun of you!

Lupa- Unless it's bad.

Charlie- Lupa!

Lupa- Fine, fine.

Karasu- Okay…

_Karasu walks out from behind Charlie and after a while, jumps up and does a backflip. Charlie, Lupa, and Amaru clap and cheer._

Charlie- All right!

Amaru- That's awesome, Karasu!

Lupa- It'll serve you well at the Valley!

_Karasu flushes and hides behind Charlie again. Charlie groans and rushes over to Lupa and Amaru, leaving Karasu behind._

Charlie- You guys, Karasu's still nervous about the Valley. They weren't born here like us, and this town took a lot of getting used to for them.

Lupa- What's weird about Ashmount?

Amaru- Seems normal to me.

Charlie- Just be nice, y'all.

Lupa- Karasu, there's no need to be nervous about the Valley!  


_Charlie facepalms as Lupa and Amaru walk over to Karasu, who is hiding in their sweater again._

Amaru- You've probably heard stories about the violence that happens at the Valley-

Lupa- And there is a lot of that and it _is_ awesome.

Amaru- _But_ that's not what it's all about. It's about tribal pride, community, and competition!

_Charlie warms up to it and walks over._

Charlie- Besides, Karasu, when we go, we'll have Amaru and Lupa there to guide us. And we'll have each other.

Karasu- What… what if we go to different tribes?

_The three of them sit down next to Karasu._

Amaru- We'll still be friends, Karasu.

Lupa- Even if I do beat all of you guys up now and then.

Charlie- When you're at the Valley, you don't hate people from other tribes. It's not about vengeance or feuds or anger… it's about honor.

_Karasu pokes out of their sweater with a small smile and the four of them have a short group hug. We fade to Charlie in his room._

Charlie- It's about honor…

_He quickly puts the picture back and grabs his phone from his bed, typing a message to Rita and sending it. It read 'I'm in'_

_End episode._


	48. Tribes of the Valley S1E9

**Episode Nine: Shukka**

Synopsis: The shipment arrives.

_We open on Charlie as he lies in bed. His alarm clock goes off, and his eyes shoot open, a determined expression on his face. Charlie shouts out actions to no one as he gets ready for the day._

Charlie- Clothing!

_We see a shot of Charlie putting on his clothes._

Charlie- Brush teeth!

_Charlie spits some water into the sink._

Charlie- Self-admiration!

_Charlie winks at himself in the mirror._

Charlie- Delicious breakfast courtesy of the best moms ever!

_Virginia and Anna-May slam down a plate of eggs and toast in front of Charlie._

Charlie- Sunglasses of determination!

_Virginia slides sunglasses onto Charlie's face as he eats a mouthful of eggs._

Virginia- So, what are you doing today at school, honey?

Charlie- I'm taking action! I'm getting everything back to where it should be, and I'm helping my friends!

Anna-May- Go Char-Char!

Virginia- Would you like a second pair of determination sunglasses?

Charlie- I would!

Anna-May- Would you like a third pair?

Charlie- I would!

_They slide two more pairs of sunglasses over his eyes. Charlie finishes off his meal with a flourish and walks to the door._

Virginia- Oh, honey, let us drive you! We just borrowed a new car!

_We cut to Rita crouched down in one of Maple Valley's castle turrets, looking down at the roads below. The roads from Maple Valley splinter off into an actual road leading to town and numerous dirt paths leading to cottage neighborhoods. It's down one of these dirt paths that Rita sees an old rickety car racing at blinding speed._

Rita- What the-

_Suddenly the roof of the car opens up and something flies up towards Rita. She stumbles back as Charlie's seat lands right by her._

Charlie- Hey, Nzuyen!

Rita- What _was_ that?

Charlie- Ejector seats.

_Charlie stands dramatically._

Charlie- Honor waits for nobody.

Rita- Well, you're right on time.

_She points over the edge, and Charlie looks down to see the Redclaws marching out of Maple Valley in formation, Lupa and Diana in the lead. Lupa is dressed in very shiny armor._

Charlie- I have to admit, the whole conqueror look is _great_ for Lupes.

Rita- It's…it's not her, though.

_Charlie looks at Rita and places a hand on her shoulder._

Charlie- I know, Rita. We'll fix this.

_Rita squirms when he first touches her shoulder, but doesn't remove it._

Rita- Maybe you're not so awful, Notch. Now come on, you need to get your tribe in on this.

_She walks away, and Charlie follows._

Charlie- Wait… you think I'm awful?

_We cut to Richard facing down Amaru and Emilio in the courtyard, with their respective tribes behind him._

Richard- I'm telling you, we're not leaving right now.

Amaru- Well, I'm telling you that _we_ are, with or without your Lions.

Richard- Superb! Head off, then!

_Emilio growls and Richard shudders._

Richard- _Why_ is _he_ here?

Amaru- I managed to convince him to help out. It took many, many, cookies.

Emilio- …sweet but savory.

Charlie- What's going on here?

_Charlie walks in, still wearing his three pairs of sunglasses, and Richard smiles._

Richard- Ah, Charlie, thank goodness. _Please_ tell Amaru that the Sunlions need more time to prepare.

Amaru- The Redclaws have already left. We need to get into position.

Charlie- Look, Amaru, I'm sure that Richie knows what he's talking about. Besides, the Nightfeathers haven't left head.

_Amaru narrows his eyes._

Charlie- Right, right, touchy subject. Just go on ahead of us, okay? We'll be right behind you.

_Amaru growls and nods, and the Jadebiters walk past them to march out. Amaru glares at Charlie, and Charlie gulps. Emilio glares at Richard, and Richard gulps harder. Once the Biters leave, Richard exhales in relief._

Richard- Ugh… I thought we'd never convince them to leave.

Charlie- You're lucky I'm so charismatic, Richie.

_Richard rolls his eyes._

Richard- Of course, all our troops are ready to go. We just wanted them ahead of us so we could strike from behind.

_Charlie's smile falters._

Charlie- Erm… what?

_Richard glances down at the floor._

Richard- I, um, I could have sworn I told you.

_Charlie narrows his eyes._

Charlie- Told me _what_?

_Richard breathes in deeply._

Richard- I suppose I knew I would have to do this…

_He looks intently at Charlie._

Richard- Sir, with or without you, we're attacking the Biters and taking that shipment solely for the Sunlions.

Charlie- I didn't authorize that.

Richard- I didn't ask for authorization.

Charlie- Richie…

Richard- Sir.

Charlie- Are… are you challenging me for leadership.

_Other Sunlions walk behind Richard as Charlie is surrounded by the rest._

Richard- Less of a challenge…more of a coup.

_The Sunlions around Charlie turn their backs to him. Charlie's mouth falls open._

Charlie- Guys… you're my tribe.

Richard- We'll speak about your place in the tribe once we complete this mission. Until then…

_He and his group of Lions begin to approach Charlie._

Charlie- No…

_Charlie is forced to fend them off as they attack him, but his heart's not in and there's more of them. Eventually, he's forced to the ground. Richard holds him down while other Lions bind his hands._

Charlie- No, no, no, no, no-

Richard- You don't value our tribe, sir. I saw it… I just needed to help the others see.

Charlie- You're wrong! I just want to help you guys-

Richard- Quiet!

_He stands up and gestures for a few Sunlions to help Charlie stand up._

Richard- Escort him back to headquarters.

_He can't quite look Charlie in the eye._

Richard- This is for the best, sir.

_He and the other Lions march out quickly, eventually leaving Charlie alone with his guards._

Charlie- Ugh, I don't suppose I could convince y'all to let me go.

Guard- Don't make this harder than it needs to be, Charlie.

Charlie- Sorry, wouldn't want to cause you to rethink your ethical alignment. How inconsiderate of me.

Guard- Thank y-

_As the guard speaks, he is slammed in the head by an axe at Rita drops down. She quickly takes on and dispatches the other two guards, untying Charlie's arms. He still doesn't look happy, though._

Charlie- Thanks, Nzuyen…

Rita- So, um… I guess we're not getting any help from your tribe.

Charlie- Not in the immediate, no.

Rita- Oh, and sorry for not helping you. Even I can't take on an entire tribe.

Charlie- Eh, it's all good.

_Charlie's smile falters, and Rita looks over at him._

Rita- You good, Notch?

Charlie- I'm alright. We can fix this, just the two of us.

Rita- Well, I know _I'm_ not giving up.

Charlie- No worries, I'm a master of strategy.

Rita- Hold on…

_She point and Charlie sees the Nightfeathers leaping out from the school as well._

Rita- Looks like we're gonna be the last ones to leave…

_Charlie narrows his eyes._

Charlie- Hold these.

_Charlie takes off two of his pairs of sunglasses and hands them to Rita, then pressed on the side of the other one. Another lens pops out of it, this time a magnifying lens, and Charlie looks through it at the exiting Nightfeathers. He sees Julio and Karasu, and he puts the glasses down and takes the others from Rita._

Rita- What? What is it?

Charlie- We might not have to do this with just the two of us…

Rita- What? Are we gonna go on an elaborate quest to recruit the lost tribes?

Charlie- What? No! But there's someone that didn't leave with the other Nightfeathers…

_We cut to Xander in a cell in Nightfeather headquarters throwing a paper airplane back and forth. We hear crashing and yelling outside the cell, but the camera stays on Xander as he plays with his paper airplane. Xander catches his plane and signs._

Xander- Hey, Char-Char…

_Charlie and Rita are standing in the doorway of his cell._

Charlie- Long time, no see, Alex.

Xander- It's actually Xander now.

Rita- Charlie… you can speak demon?

Xander- Did you _have_ to bring her with you?

Charlie- We need all the help we can get to fix this mess.

_He takes off two of his pairs of sunglasses and hands one to Xander and one to Rita._

Charlie- Take these… they're sunglasses of determination.

Rita- Thank you, Notch. I'm honored.

_Xander smiles._

Xander- You're such a dork, Charlie.

_Charlie scratches his neck bashfully._

Rita- You two know each other or something?

_Xander and Charlie glance at each other._

Xander- We're acquainted.

Charlie- He says that he never got over me.

Xander- I did not!

_Charlie chuckles._

Charlie- I think I'm going to enjoy being a translator.

Xander- Where's your tribe, Mr. Leader?

Charlie- My tribe? They, um-

Rita- His tribe betrayed him and beat him up.

_Xander slides on the sunglasses of determination._

Xander- We _do_ have work to do, don't we?

_We cut to Lupa and the Redclaws marching through town to the center square, where the Redclaw Council is waiting with a large covered object._

Lupa- Redclaws, halt!  


_Lupa walks up the council, who regard the organized rows of Redclaws with smiles._

TCM- Not bad, Lupa.

Lupa- Thank you. Now… the shipment?

SCM- Dramatic reveal, please!

_BCM pulls the cover off with a flourish, and the Redclaws all speak in unison._

Redclaws- Gasp!

_The shipment is contained in an intricate cart, with exotic weapons of all types lying inside. Lupa's eyes light up._

Lupa- It's beautiful.

TCM- Now… we've heard a bit of troubling news. We understand that other tribes are planning to assault the shipment on the way back to the Valley.

Lupa- I'm not worried.

SCM- We cannot help you with this, Lupa. Providing weapons is one of the sworn duties of alumni, but we cannot directly interfere. This is in your hands.

Lupa- And what good hands they are.

TCM- We also have something that might help you…

_He pulls a massive axe from the shipment and hands it to Lupa, then beckons a Redclaw to come forwards._

Lupa- It's heavy…

TCM- Try it. Press the button.

_Lupa slings the axe over her shoulder and presses a button at the hilt. Mechanisms inside the axe activate and it slams down incredibly quickly and powerfully, sending the Redclaw flying across town. Lupa grins._

Lupa- I think I can work with this.

_We cut to Quarren Field, where the Jadebiters, Nightfeathers, and Sunlions are all standing on different sides of the field. It's a standoff, with all of them having weapons aimed at each other. Amaru narrows his eyes over at Richard, cupping his hands and yelling over._

Amaru- Hey! Where's Charlie?!

Richard- What?!

Amaru- Where's Charlie!

Richard- What?

_Sighing, Amaru pulls out some paper and writes on it, attaching it to an arrow and firing it over at Richard. Richard reads the letter._

Richard- Oh!

_He cups his hands over his own mouth._

Richard- We had a coup!

Amaru- What?

Richard- We had a coup!

Amaru- What?

_Sighing, Richard pulls out some paper and writes on it, grabbing a bow and arrow and attempting to fire it at Amaru. However, it only gets about half as far before the arrow falls to the ground and the paper blows away._

Richard- Oh, forget it!

_Julio is doing jumping jacks while Karasu watches with bemusement._

Julio- One! Two! Three!

Karasu- I get first pick of the loot! Got that?

Julio- Alrighty!

_Karasu is distracted by marching sounds as the White Guard enter, forming a perimeter around the field._

Karasu- What are _they_ doing here?

_The Parliamentarian pops their head over Karasu's shoulder._

Parliamentarian- Just making sure you all stay on school property.

Karasu- Gah!

Julio- I thought we were allowed to be here because the dog peed here or whatever.

Parliamentarian- Of course! And thus, if any fighting occurs off of the boundaries my White Guard have marked, then they will dealt with.

_Karasu curls their lip._

Karasu- Super.

Parliamentarian- Isn't it?

_The Parliamentarian walks away, and the Nightfeathers start pointing. Karasu looks, and we see the shipment, guarded by rows of Redclaws, cresting one of the hills of the field, approaching the boundary of the park. Karasu narrows their eyes._

Karasu- Get ready.

_We cut to Charlie, Xander, and Rita running through the forest, all wearing their sunglasses._

Rita- We've been running through this forest for like, half an hour. You wanna tell us the plan, Notch?

Xander- I have to agree with the ableist on this one.

Rita- What'd he say?

Charlie- He said that my cheeks are very cute, but let's go over the plan anyway.

_Xander rolls his eyes._

Charlie- Step one, we take back my tribe. We don't stand a chance if we don't have the rest of the Sunlions on our side.

Rita- Step two?

Charlie- We'll figure it out if we get that far.

Rita- I like it!

Xander- This is going to fail miserably.

Charlie- He says we've got this!

_They hear yelling as they approach Quarren Field._

Charlie- Well, y'all, looks like we're a little late to the party.

_Rita pulls out your axe._

Rita- Get out your weapons!

_Xander and Charlie look at her blankly._

Charlie- Richie took my ribbon.

Xander- Weapons are overrated.

Rita- Neither of you? Great, so we've got one weapon between the three of us.

_Xander smirks._

Xander- Oh, we're so dead.

_The three of them run up the hill and past the White Guard to witness a battle of massive scale happening in the field. All four tribes are battling around the shipment in utter chaos. Rita and Xander spot Lupa and Karasu respectively._

Rita- Lupa!

Xander- I need to talk to Karasu.

Charlie- One thing at a time, Notchettes.

Xander- I did _not_ agree to that name.

Charlie- First things first, you guys carve me a path to Richie.

Rita- That sounds like something in my wheelhouse.

_We cut to Richard rolling out of Emilio's way. He turns when he hears Charlie's voice._

Charlie- Richard Henry Morris!

Richard- Son of a sweatervest…

_He gestures for a group of Sunlions to keep Emilio busy while he points at Charlie and the Notchettes._

Richard- Stop them!

_Rita barrels into the approaching attackers with gusto, taking numerous Lions out with every swing. Xander jumps into Charlie's hands to receive a boost, jumping behind a group of Lions and sweeping their legs out from under them. Charlie fights like a street boxer, light on his feet but hitting hard at anyone who gets in his way. Meanwhile, Richard has managed to fight his way to the shipment itself, rummaging through it._

Richard- Come on, come on, come on…

_Charlie finally reaches Richard._

Charlie- Richie! You have to stop!

Richard- You're never going to be satisfied, are you?

Charlie- For someone that tries to say what the Valley is supposed to be like, you didn't take control the traditional way…

Richard- So that's what you want, Charlie? Very well, if it will make you fall in line…

_He pulls out a massive serrated sword from the shipment._

Richard- I challenge you for leadership!

_The Sunlions gasp and form a circle around Charlie and Richard. Rita and Xander arrive by Charlie's side, but he waves them away._

Charlie- You guys go do what you need to… this is between me and Richie.

_Rita and Xander nod and go their separate ways. Richard tosses Charlie his regular sword while examining the one he just got from the shipment._

Charlie- Can't give me my ribbon? I thought challenger chose the weapons.

Richard- I'm humoring you, Charlie. This is as far as it goes.

_Charlie grins and holds his sword forwards._

Charlie- And here I thought you didn't know the first thing about humor.

_Charlie and Richard rush at each other, and we cut to Rita as she runs through the battlefield. She eventually spots Lupa fighting a group of Biters near the shipment._

Rita- Lupa!

_Lupa looks over at Rita, startled._

Lupa- Rit-

_Diana suddenly gets in Rita's way, the two girls' blades crashing against each other._

Diana- Back off, traitor!  


Rita- I'm not a traitor! I'm just not blind!

Diana- Lupa doesn't need some _first year_ telling her what to do!

_Rita gets angry and pushes Diana back._

Diana- Get I get some snide giggles?

_The Redclaws around Diana giggle snidely, and she smirks._

Diana- You don't even know the first thing about being a Redclaw.

Rita- Oh, yeah? Then-then… I challenge you to a Redclaw duel!

Redclaws- Gasp!

Diana- Psh! Those haven't been done for _years_.

Rita- I read the code. It was never officially overturned.

_Diana curls her lip._

Diana- Fine, then!

_Rita and Diana walk up to each other, dropping their weapons._

Rita- First one to hesitate loses…

Diana- I _know_ the rules, loser.

Redclaws- Three! Two! One! Go!

_The two girls begin improvising and acting out their actions. Diana faints into Rita's arm as both of them speak quickly._

Diana- Oh, Rebecca! I don't think John will ever love me!

Rita- You're too good for him anyway! You don't need to define yourself by men's expectations!  


Diana- Can't you help me get a makeover! I just know that I'll impress him if I look good!

Rita- Of course! Let me slap some foundation on!

_Rita slaps Diana in the face, and she yelps and glares at Rita._

Diana- _Of course_. Wait, what's that! I think it's a tripwire!

_Diana trips Rita up and she falls to the ground, quickly rolling back and acting as if the ground if shaking._

Rita- Oh, no! The ground is shaking! I think the mole-people are invading!

Diana- Excuse me? I don't remember any mole people!

_Rita grins, standing up and talking extremely rapidly in Diana's face._

Rita- And I was secretly your long lost father in disguise the whole time. I was separated from you at birth because your wicked robot aunt stole you away to turn you into a living weapon for the Lithuanian government!

_Diana's eyes widen and she stammers for words._

Diana- I, um, uh-

Rita- HESITATION!  


_Diana acts as if she's been struck in the chest and acts out a dramatic death, falling at Rita's feet._

Diana- Gasp! I've been defeated! And by a first year, no less!

_Rita picks up her axe, grinning._

Rita- Never tell me I'm not a true Red-

_Lupa's axe slams into Rita's chest, sending her flying back and skidding across the ground. Rita looks up as Lupa catches it, glaring at Rita._

Rita- Uh-oh.

Lupa- You should have left this when you had the chance.

_We cut to Xander running through the field, trying to find his way to where the Nightfeathers and Jadebiters are fighting. When it seems like he's finally found an open stretch, a foot slams into his stomach, sending him flying. Xander signs at the camera as he flies through the air._

Xander- Ow.

_Emilio steps out from the crowd, and Xander rolls his eyes._

Xander- Hey, big guy. Do we _really_ have to do this?

_Emilio signs back at him._

Emilio- Sorry, my friend, but I'm in a bit of a bloodlust at the moment.

Xander- Finally, someone has the decency to actually sign back at me. It makes me feel very validated, you know.

_Emilio charges at him, and Xander jumps up, kicking him in the face. It has literally no effect, and Xander falls to the ground. Emilio picks him up and throws him away._

Xander- I'm going to run now.

_Emilio signs at him._

Emilio- I'm going to chase you.

Xander- That's fair.

_They engage in a chase around the field, but eventually Xander starts breathing heavily. He smirks and runs towards the end of the field, eventually stopping and turning around. Emilio charges at him, tackling him to the ground. However, Emilio is interrupted by a small cough from next to him. He stands up to see the White Guard standing by him wielding massive pikes, and his eyes widen as he realizes he's crossed the barrier. They pull him off Xander, and Xander walks past him to the field of battle._

Xander- Thanks, guys. Have fun with him.

_Xander runs off as the White Guard batters Emilio, and we cut to Richard and Charlie brutally clashing as the crowd around them watches._

Charlie- Just give up, Richie. I've got the sunglasses of determination!

Richard- What does that even mean?

Charlie- It _means_ that I paid a random guy on the street to bless them!

Richard- Bless them with what?

Charlie- Determination, obviously!

Richard- Ugh!

_They clash together and push back._

Charlie- That sword is lame anyway. Does it even do anything?

Richard- It looks cool, and it's very large!

_They clash together again._

Richard- Just fall in line!  


Charlie- You've forgotten what we're all about!

Richard- You don't deserve to lead us!

Charlie- Do too!

Richard- Do not!  


Charlie- Do too!

Richard- Do not!

Charlie- That's it, I'm done!  


_Charlie knocks the sword out of Richard's hand and kicks him back while catching the large blade. Charlie examines the hilt._

Charlie- Ooh, what's this button do?

_He presses it and the sword extends into a large whip. Charlie grins and whips at Richard just as he's getting up, sending him flying to the ground. Charlie walks over to Richard and points both swords down at him._

Charlie- This is _over_.

_He turns to the other Sunlions._

Charlie- Lions! Get that shipment!

_He turns back to Richard._

Charlie- Now I need to go fix the mess that _you_ made.

Richard- Charlie… I was doing this for the tribe…

_Charlie looks down at him with a little sympathy, but not a ton._

Charlie- Then I guess you just have no idea what the Valley's about.

_He runs off, leaving Richard shocked and confused. We cut to Amaru by the shipment as he fights off Karasu and Julio. Eventually, he managed to swat Karasu out of the air. However, as they roll towards the shipment, they reach in and rummage around. Meanwhile, Amaru and Julio fight, Julio's eyes a bit crazed._

Amaru- Stop this, Garcia!

Julio- Agh! Shut up!

Amaru- I'm taking you back with me one way or another! You don't know what's best for you!

Julio- Well you're, um, lame!

_Suddenly, Amaru is hit in the face by a barrage of small foam knives._

Amaru- Agh!

_The knives snake back through the air on tiny threads into gloves that Karasu is now wearing as they walk in front of Julio, ushering him back._

Karasu- I've got this, Julio.

Julio- But I can help!

_Karasu offers a smile._

Karasu- You have an important job to do. Help out the others.

_Julio nods quickly and heads off, and Karasu faces down Amaru._

Karasu- That shipment is Nightfeather property.

Amaru- Fine, take it. Give me the kid.

Karasu- I don't think so.

Amaru- Seems like a fair trade to me!

_Karasu growls and leaps at Amaru. They clash for a bit, Karasu using their new weapon from the shipment to continually throw knives at Amaru and entangle him. Eventually, Amaru is completely entangled, and he falls to the ground._

Amaru- Agh! Biters!

_Amaru wriggles free of the thread just as a Biter rummages in a shipment and tosses Amaru a massive crossbow. Karasu's eyes widen as the crossbow begins to whir._

Karasu- Uh oh…

_The crossbow begins to fire bolts rapidly across the entire field of battle, and Karasu jumps back. Julio is fighting with Biter when bolts start flying, and he and Karasu hide behind a rock._

Amaru- Have I gotten my point a- _cross_?!

Karasu- Ugh.

Julio- That's just awful.

_Suddenly, a piercing whistle sounds out. Karasu and Julio peek out from behind their rock to see Xander standing dramatically on another rock, his scarf and hair blowing in the wind._

Karasu- X-X-Xander?

_Amaru hesitates, but aims a bolt at Karasu. However, his aim is knocked off by a familiar whip-sword as Charlie rushes towards him._

Amaru- Charlie? What are you doing?!

Charlie- Let them work this out!

Amaru- I thought you were on my side!

_Amaru runs towards Charlie and slams his crossbow against Charlie's sword._

Charlie- Ugh, I guess we're doing this.

_Meanwhile, Karasu and Xander are staring each other down. A Redclaw carries a tumbleweed across the screen._

Karasu- _What_ are you doing here, Xan?

Xander- You know what you need to do, Karasu.

_Karasu eyes Julio behind them, a little fear in their eyes. Xander jumps down from his rock._

Xander- Tell. Him. The. Truth.

_Karasu's eyes widen._

Karasu- Get out of here, Julio.

Julio- But-

Karasu- I don't have time for this! Go!

_A shaky Julio retreats._

Xander- Don't make me fight you.

Karasu- It'll be short, I promise.

_The two of them run at each other, and we cut to Rita being utterly schooled by Lupa, sent flying across the field again and again as Lupa's new axe whirs._

Rita- Agh!  


Lupa- This is _my_ shipment!

_Lupa slams her axe down, and Rita attempts to block, sending her a few inches into the ground. Lupa keeps pressing down, but Rita grips her teeth and keeps holding._

Lupa- Why are you doing this?

_Rita grits her teeth harder._

Lupa- Why are you doing this?!

Rita- Because I care about you, okay?!

_Lupa breathes in sharply, and Rita manages to roll back and get up._

Lupa- Stop it! You're a traitor!  


Rita- I'm your friend!

_Lupa hesitates for a second, but she turns her head to see Sunlions assaulting the cart._

Lupa- The shipment!

Rita- Lupa, wait!  


_But Lupa is already running off towards the battle. Rita sighs and runs after her. We cut to Xander and Karasu fighting. Karasu clearly has the upper hand, but they get struck by Charlie's whip-sword and glares over at him as he resumes his fight with Amaru._

Karasu- Hey!

Charlie- Sorry, I'm with Xander on this one, Su!

Karasu- Don't call me-

_Xander slams his knee into their stomach._

Karasu- You little-

_Karasu flips over Xander, throwing their knives at him. He rolls to the side and tackles Karasu._

Karasu- Agh ugh agh!

_The two of them roll around on the floor, punching and kicking each other until Karasu ends up on top of Xander._

Karasu- Couldn't you just stay out of-

_Charlie's whip-sword strikes them again, and they yelp as they are knocked slightly back. Xander takes the chance to get up, putting Karasu in a headlock and tying their arms behind their back. He signs in front of their face as they struggle._

Xander- Tell him the truth.

Karasu- He's gone! There's no point now!

Xander- Don't be so sure…

Julio- Karasu! I'll save you!

Karasu- What?

_Karasu turns to see Julio running towards them from across the battlefield._

Karasu- No, no, no!

Xander- I know you care about him-

Karasu- I don't!

Xander- But he deserves to know the truth!

_Karasu falls silent._

Xander- And I know you know that…

_Across the field, Amaru breaks free of Charlie and starts running towards Karasu only to be tripped up._

Amaru- Charlie, why? I just want him back!

Charlie- Karasu will tell him the truth… I know they will.

Amaru- But what if he doesn't come back…?

Charlie- Amaru, that's his choice to make. As long as he has all the information, he can do whatever he wants.

_Amaru hesitates as Charlie reaches out his hand, but takes it. He surveys the battlefield._

Charlie- You don't own him, Amaru.

_Amaru sighs._

Amaru- I know…

_A pause._

Amaru- I messed up, didn't I?

Charlie- We all messed up. But you can help me try and make it right.

_They watch as Julio runs over to Karasu and Xander._

Julio- Xander, let them go!

Karasu- Julio… wait.

Julio- It's okay, Karasu. I can take him!

Karasu- I lied to you, okay!  


_Julio takes a step back._

Julio- What?

_Karasu speaks, unable to look up from the ground, their voice cracking slightly._

Karasu- I, um, uh… Amaru was telling the truth.

Julio- He was what?

Karasu- He… he did want you back. I lied to you so you could stay with us… so you could stay with me.

_Julio's face begins to contort in fury._

Karasu- Julio, you have to listen to me. I didn't know what this was going to turn into. I just wanted-

Julio- AGH!

_Julio tackles Karasu, about to punch them in the face before Xander grabs him and holds him back._

Julio- GET OFF ME! GET OFF ME!

_Charlie and Amaru run over._

Amaru- Julio, stop it!

_Xander restrains Julio for a bit longer, until Julio eventually deflates and collapses to the ground. Amaru walks over to him, and Julio looks up, his ears teary._

Julio- You… you _wanted_ me?

_Amaru smiles._

Amaru- I did, Julio. And I, um, I'd really love you to come back with me and the Biters.

_Julio throws Karasu a glare as Xander unties them._

Julio- Better than the alternative.

Amaru- Hey… it's okay.

_Amaru ruffles Julio's hair and helps him up. Charlie walks over to Xander and Karasu._

Charlie- Hey, you did the right thing.

_Karasu looks at the ground as Xander puts his arm over their shoulder._

Karasu- Then why does it feel so bad?

_Charlie puts a hand on Karasu's shoulder, then walks over to Amaru._

Charlie- You still have that warhorn, bud?

_Amaru pulls out a massive warhorn from his pocket and hands it to Charlie._

Amaru- Always.

_Charlie takes it and climbs up to one of the tallest rocks in the field. He blows it, and a massive sound rings throughout the entire field. The fighting ceases for a moment, and everyone looks to Charlie._

Charlie- Um… hi, everyone!

_A pause._

Charlie- So, um, raise your hand if you think this whole shipment thing is pretty stupid!

_Amaru, Karasu, and Xander raise their hands, and their tribes follow suit. Some of the Sunlions raise their hand, and Rita stride through the crowd raising her hand. However, Lupa bursts through to face Charlie, very indignant._

Lupa- Hey! If this shipment is so stupid, then why did you have your Lions try and take it?!

Charlie- Lupes… we wanted to destroy it…

_Lupa's eyes widen._

Lupa- What?

Charlie- I mean, look at what this thing has done to all of us? Everyone's turned completely ruthless, kidnapping kids to use as weapons, and starting coups against the cutest guy in Ashmount? Totally uncalled for!

Lupa- What, I'm not allowed to help my own tribe?!

_Rita runs up to join Charlie._

Rita- Hey, Redclaws?! Who remembers when Lupa had us participate in a production of _Phantom_ this summer?

_The Redclaws roar in agreement._

Rita- Who remembers when she forgot to rent out a theater space?

_More roars of agreement._

Rita- And who remembers when we kicked everyone out of the local theater to perform it anyway!?

_More roars of agreement._

Rita- Now… who remembers doing anything like that since this _stupid_ shipment came up!?

_The Redclaws murmur among themselves, and Lupa looks around._

Lupa- Guys…

_Rita jumps down and walks towards Lupa, and Lupa doesn't fight it._

Rita- Lupa, our tribe isn't itself without you and your passion and excitement. But you haven't been _you_ lately… and this shipment is the root of all that.

Lupa- But the Council…

Rita- They're the past. We're living now. And we can do what we want.

_There's a tense pause, then Lupa laughs._

Lupa- Really, Rita?

Rita- What?

Lupa- You did all this for me when you could have just switched tribes?

_Rita smiles._

Rita- Even if I did switch tribes, I would never give up on my friend.

_Lupa tosses down her fancy axe and gives Rita a tight hug, lifting her off the ground._

Rita- Too. Tight. Can't. Breathe.

_Lupa puts Rita down and points to Charlie, Karasu, and Amaru._

Lupa- Did you guys work out your baggage?

_Karasu and Amaru nod._

Charlie- Almost…

_He turns to the Sunlions._

Charlie- Lions, I want you to know that I have _always_ cared about y'all. But valuing my tribe doesn't mean that I'm going to act like a total jerk. That's not what the Valley's about.

_He turns to the crowd at large._

Charlie- Everyone could stand to hear this. We may spend our days beating the ever-loving snot out of each other, but the Valley isn't someplace to take out your personal baggage.

_He smiles._

Charlie- It's not about vengeance or feuds or anger… it's about honor.

_He turns his head as Richard emerges from the Sunlions. There's a pause, then Richard kneels._

Richard- I forgot myself… I'm sorry, sir.

_Charlie jumps down and pulls Richard to his feet._

Charlie- You're fine, Richie.

_He winks._

Charlie- Just never do another coup again.

Richard- What if I call it an uprising? A revolution?

_The two of them laugh._

Richard- Nice sunglasses, by the way.

_Lupa points to the shipment._

Lupa- So what are we doing with all these cool weapons?

Amaru- We could donate them to charity!

Karasu- We could bury them and curse anyone who digs them up!

Charlie- I've got a better and more symbolically meaningful solution.

_We cut to later in the day, still in Quarren Field. All the weapons have been taken out of the cart and are now burning in a massive bonfire as all four tribes gather round, chattering and the such._

Lupa- Who knew expensive weaponry was so flammable!?

Rita- Nice to have you back, Lupes.

Lupa- So you really did that all for me…?

Rita- A world where you don't watch _The Secrets of Citrus Hills_ with me is a world I don't want to live in.

_Lupa grins, and the two girls clasp hands as they watch the bonfire, Rita's head falling onto Lupa's shoulder. Karasu is sitting alone on a rock when Amaru comes up next to them._

Amaru- Hey…

Karasu- You won, I get it.

_Amaru slings his arm over Karasu's shoulder._

Amaru- We both messed up, Karasu. You took him, but I stopped considering how he felt… or how you felt. And, um… maybe I _was_ a bit dismissive when you first left the Biters, but I have so much respect for you. You know that, don't you.

_Karasu sniffles and Amaru hugs them closer._

Karasu- I-um-uh… words. Yeah. Thanks.

_Amaru chuckles, and Julio runs up to him and tugs on his arm._

Julio- Amaru, Amaru, Amaru! Come on! Me and some other Biters are gonna see if we can jump across the whole bonfire!

_Amaru gets up, but looks back at Karasu, whispering to them._

Amaru- You cared about him, I know. Just give him time.

_Karasu nods and gets up to leave themselves, only to run right into Xander._

Xander- Hey.

Karasu- Hey.

_Karasu sighs._

Karasu- I was a jerk.

Xander- Basically.

Karasu- I didn't listen to you.

Xander- Heeded _none_ of my sage advice.

Karasu- And I made everything worse.

Xander- It's a wonder I stick around at all.

_A pause._

Xander- But thanks for trying to make it right.

_Karasu lurches forward, tightly hugging Xander. He's taken aback for a second, but hugs them back. We see the Redclaw Council angrily approaching the bonfire._

TCM- _Excuse me_?! Are you _burning_ the shipment?! Do you have any idea how much money we spent on-

_The entire Valley raises their weapons, and TCM gulps._

TCM- We'll be on our way.

Rita- And don't come back!

_We see the Parliamentarian chatting with a group of students._

Parliamentarian- I thought we'd have to discipline many more students! Well done obeying protocol today, everyone!

_Charlie sits by Richard by the bonfire, holding a present._

Richard- Ugh. Hello, sir.

Charlie- Just open this.

Richard- This is for me?

Charlie- Call it an investment in your future loyalty.

Richard- You don't need to worry about my future-

_He gasps when he sees what's inside the present, and pulls out a sweatervest._

Richard- A sweatervest?!

Charlie- I thought you'd like it.

_Richard shakes Charlie's hand vigorously, and we fade to Charlie, Lupa, Karasu, and Amaru standing on a rock as their tribes clap along. They sing an old Valley song._

Charlie, Lupa, Karasu, Amaru- **Oh, in the Valley!**

Valley Soldiers- **Oh, in the Valley!**

Charlie, Lupa, Karasu, Amaru- **You can get what you want**!

Valley Soldiers- **You can get what you want!**

Charlie, Lupa, Karasu, Amaru- **Fight tooth, claw, and nail!**

Valley Soldiers- **Fight tooth, claw, and nail!**

Charlie, Lupa, Karasu, Amaru- **Just give it a shot!**

Valley Soldiers- **Just give it a shot!**

_The camera pans up to the night sky as they continue singing._

Valley Students- **With your tribe at your side, they've got your back! With your friends at your side, they'll lead you on the right path!**

_End episode._


	49. Tribes of the Valley- Tribe Pride Day (A.K.A my weird obsession with Descendants)

**Special One: Tribe Pride Day**

Synopsis: The tribes throw an extravaganza to celebrate everything Valley… all to the tune of the Descendants trilogy.

_We open in the Free Classrooms, where Jack is addressing a crowd of academics from atop a stage._

Jack- Academics of the Free Classrooms, today I come to tell you that we have the right to this school! The tribes look down upon us, but they're just a bunch of brutes!

_Cheers from the academics._

Jack- We are the rightful rulers of Maple Valley, and so we must stay strong even in the face of the tribes' intense recruiting campaign.

_He presses a button on a remote and Charlie's Sunlion commercial from earlier in the season begins playing on a large screen behind him._

Jack- Resist temptation, my friends! If we remain determined, we can-

_Suddenly, all the lights and screen go out. Gasps from the academics._

Jack- What? What's going on?!

Lupa- Spotlight on us, please!

_From the second floor, Rita and Richard direct a spotlight onto the stage, where Lupa, Karasu, Amaru, and Charlie are being lowered on a giant prop moon._

Charlie- Hey, y'all!

_Jack sputters._

Jack- Wh-what?! What are you doing here? This is academic territory!

Amaru- Relax, small screaming one. We come in peace.

Lupa- Although I should take you down right now for not gawking enough at our dramatic entrance.

_Karasu grumbles._

Karasu- Did I have to come? I'm much better backstage.

Lupa- Silence!

_The four of them dismount the moon and address the crowd._

Amaru- We understand that you think that the tribes are completely uncivilized.

Karasu- I believe the exact wording was 'a bunch of brutes.'

Charlie- But the tribes are so much more than that! We're a family!

Jack- Is this another recruitment campaign? I already have that Redclaw jingle stuck in my head.

Lupa- **Reeeedclaws, join the pack! Mess with us, and we'll attack!**

Charlie- We're not trying to recruit, we're just trying to build good relationships with y'all and help you to understand our lifestyles.

Jack- You could maybe start by returning all those students you've captured.

Karasu- Ugh, do you _know_ how hard it is to sort out which prisoners came from where?

Amaru- The point is, we're throwing a tribe pride day tonight to celebrate our own amazingness! You should stop by!

Jack- As if. We have unit tests tomorrow!

_The four of them look at Jack blankly._

Lupa- Unit whats?

Jack- Whatever! We're not coming!

_Charlie purses his lips, and the four of them exchange a look._

Lupa- Fine! Plan B!

_She snaps her fingers as the four of them jump off the stage and pose dramatically. On the second floor, Rita hits a button on a radio and music begins to play as students from all four tribes stream in, disrupting the academics._

Lupa, Karasu, Amaru, Charlie- **From the north to the south, from the east to the west.**

_The four of them stride out in opposite directions, the academics clearing out of their way._

Lupa, Karasu, Amaru, Charlie- **Whatever tribe you're from, you all know you're the best! Hit the halls, it's your day, turn it up, now's your chance! It's time to get up on your feet and dance!  
**

_They walk amongst the tribal students as they hold up flags and tribal memorabilia._

Karasu- **Anybody wanna be like us? Everybody wanna be like us!**

Charlie- **All the kids from Forrester, and Woodsworth 'cause they know what's up!**

_Lupa walks up to a group of Redclaws._

Lupa- **Our lives could change today, this war could change today!**

_Amaru poses in front of students carrying posters of the four leaders._

Amaru- **They love the four of us because we pave the way!**

_Charlie and Lupa approach a group of academics._

Charlie and Lupa- **Everyone come and take your shot. Now's the time, show 'em what you've got!**

Lupa- **Ah-ah-ah!**

Lupa, Karasu, Amaru, Charlie- **'Cause everyone's gonna get their chance!**

_They point up at a humiliated Jack._

Lupa, Karasu, Amaru, Charlie- **He says that being from the tribes is bad!**

_The tribal students swarm in to dance as the four of them take the lead._

Lupa, Karasu, Amaru, Charlie- **Well it's good to be bad, and we're proof of that! We've got no education, but we don't need that, 'cause the Valley's got fun like you've never had! Remember that! It's good to be-**

Tribal Students- **Bad!**

Lupa, Karasu, Amaru, Charlie- **If you got pride, then wave your flags up high, wave them wide, side to side, feel the vibe. It's good to be bad!**

_A pause in the singing as Lupa strolls up to Rita and some Redclaws and raises her fist._

Lupa- **I wanna see you all rep your block, I wanna see you all rep your block! Show your pride, let me hear it loud!**

Lupa and Redclaws- **We're from the Valley and we're proud!**

_Amaru addresses the academics._

Amaru- **We're here to celebrate, we're here to elevate! If you're down then make your move, but you best not hesitate!**

Tribal Students- Come on!

_Everyone looks up to see Karasu walking across one of the ceiling beams._

Karasu- **Today's the day that you won't forget. The best to come ain't happened yet.**

Lupa- **Ah-ah-ah.**

_Charlie uses his ribbon to pull Richard over to him._

Charlie and Lupa- **Take a bow, it won't be your last!**

Lupa, Karasu, Amaru, Charlie- **You're from the Valley if anybody asks!**

_Some of the academics join in with the cheer._

Tribal/Academic Students- Yeah.

Lupa, Karasu, Amaru, Charlie- **Well it's good to be bad, and we're proof of that! We've got no education, but we don't need that, 'cause the Valley's got fun like you've never had! Remember that! It's good to be-**

Tribal/Academic Students- **Bad!**

Lupa, Karasu, Amaru, Charlie- **If you got pride, then wave your flags up high, wave them wide, side to side, feel the vibe. It's good to be bad!**

_Charlie and Amaru go back to back._

Amaru- **You can try to deny our style, but we were born this way. 'Cause the moment that we stepped foot in these halls, we were bound heart and soul to the Valley.**

Charlie- **If you wanna make it hype, not a moment to waste! Make it loud, make it live, make it jump to the bass! Make it what you want but you better make your case, 'cause the Valley makes us and we're repping this place!**

Lupa, Karasu, Amaru, Charlie- **So when I say M, you say V. M!**

Students- **V!**

Lupa, Karasu, Amaru, Charlie- **M!**

Students- **V!**

Lupa, Karasu, Amaru, Charlie- **When I say Val, you say Ley! Val!**

Student- **Ley!**

Lupa, Karasu, Amaru, Charlie, and Students- **Valley!**

_The tribal students pull the academics into dances as the four Valley leaders wander the crowd. Charlie pulls several students into dances with his ribbon, Amaru goes over to some of the younger kids, Karasu does a series of flips across the stage, and Lupa crowd surfs. Eventually, they regroup as they march their way out of the hall._

Lupa, Karasu, Amaru, Charlie- **Well it's good to be bad, and we're proof of that! We've got no education, but we don't need that, 'cause the Valley's got fun like you've never had! Remember that! It's good to be-**

Tribal/Academic Students- **Bad!**

Lupa, Karasu, Amaru, Charlie- **If you got pride, then wave your flags up high, wave them wide, side to side, feel the vibe. It's good to be… bad!**

_The tribal students are gone as soon as they came, leaving behind flyers floating in the air advertising Tribe Pride day. Jack sputters as some of the academics look at them in curiosity._

Jack- How dare you consider this!

Student- In all fairness, it was a very catchy musical number.

_We cut to Karasu and Xander in Nightfeather headquarters._

Xander- Heard you had quite the musical number back there.

Karasu- Eh, it was alright. You should have come and participated. I mean, _I_ did it.

Xander- Singing isn't exactly my forte.

Karasu- Oh…right.

Xander- At least Tribe Pride Day will be fun.

Karasu- Totally! All of our enemies in one location… with their guards let down…

_Xander rolls his eyes._

Xander- Seriously, Karasu? I thought this was supposed to be fun.

Karasu- Are you saying mischief and evil isn't fun?

Xander- Not, but sometimes fun things also happen to be evil.

Karasu- Xandeeeeeeer. C'mon, help me out here!

Xander- What about the whole honor thing or whatever?

Karasu- I just want to mess with them a bit. Nothing too serious.

Xander- It always gets serious with you.

Karasu- Are you going to keep arguing with me? Don't make me bust out the musical number!  


Xander- It's going to come to that anyway. Go ahead, upstage the poor mute who can't sing.

Karasu- With pleasure.

_Karasu jumps on a platform and snaps their fingers, pointing dramatically at Xander, who signs back at them as they sing._

Karasu- **Don't you wanna be evil like me, don't you wanna be mean?**

Xander- This doesn't really sound 'evil,' persay.

Karasu- **Don't you wanna make mischief your daily routine?**

Xander- I'm going to have to dance, aren't I?

_Xander sighs and jumps onto the platform next to Karasu, tap dancing lazily but expertly. Karasu jumps behind him._

Karasu- **Well, you could be a square and follow every rule. But when you're evil, you can go out and rule the school! Don't you wanna be ruthless and rotten, and mad? Don’t you wanna be very very good at being bad?**

Xander- I am dancing under duress.

_Karasu throws their arms up, exasperated._

Karasu- Look, Xan, can't you just play along?

Xander- Honestly, I really think you're overexaggerating the quote unquote 'wickedness' of the whole situation just to fit the song better.

Karasu- Ugh, be quiet!

_Karasu jumps up and a Nightfeather chorus joins them._

Karasu- **Don't you wanna be evil like me? Don't you wanna be cruel? Don't you wanna be nasty and brutal and cool?**

Xander- You're just embarrassing yourself at this point.

Karasu- Shut up! **Don't you wanna heartless and hardened as stone? Don't you wanna be absolutely evil to the bone!**

_Karasu's platform begins to rise dramatically._

Karasu- **This is not for you to ponder, this is preordained. You will do my every order, or else you will get maimed!**

Xander- Harsh.

Karasu- **I'm the leader of the Nightfeathers, powerful and strong! Xander, hear me, help me, join me! Won't you sing along!**

Xander- No.

_Karasu deflates and music abruptly cuts out._

Karasu- Fine! I guess I got a little carried away…

_Karasu jumps down to join Xander._

Xander- Sorry, but I'm going to Tribe Pride Day to have _fun_ , not mess with people.

Karasu- What if I called it a prank?

Xander- Oh, then I'm definitely in.

Karasu- Ugh! Why do you have to defeat the purpose of my whole number!

_We cut to Lupa lounging in her throne with Rita and Diana standing on either side of her._

Lupa- So, Redclaws, we're running a tribal history museum during the festival.

Diana- An honorable position, truly.

Rita- Suck-up.

Diana- Loser.

Lupa- Break it up, you two!

_Lupa turns to Rita._

Lupa- Actually, Rita, you deserve a break. You _did_ stop me from being a total psycho after all.

_Rita grins sheepishly._

Rita- Aw, it was nothing.

Diana- It was whatever.

Lupa- So why don't you enjoy the festival with everyone else, Rita! You should head out now, actually! Me and the others have to set up our attraction.

Rita- Are you sure, Lupes? I can help-

_Lupa pushes her out the door._

Lupa- Have fun! Bye!

_Lupa slams shut the doors and turns around to face Diana and the other Redclaws._

Diana- Well done, my lady.

Lupa- Do _not_ call me 'my lady.'

Diana- Sorry.

Lupa- Rita's gone… and now I can put my plan into motion.

Diana- And what an excellent plan it is, my lady.

Lupa- Diana!

Diana- Sorry, what would you prefer?

_Lupa walks over and sits in her throne, pulling Diana close._

Lupa- _What's_ my name?

Diana- Lupa…

_Lupa turns to the Redclaws at large._

Lupa- What's my name?

Redclaws- Lupa!

_Lupa grins and stands up as Diana rolls out a red carpet in front of her._

Lupa- **This is all hands on deck! I'm calling out to Redclaws, you know, we're gonna make 'em show us respect! We won't stop 'til we get a show!**

_Lupa tosses her spear to the crowd._

Lupa- **It's our time, we up next!**

Redclaws- Next!

Lupa- **Our seats are almost set! They ain't seen nothing yet!**

_Diana slide on her knees next to Lupa, the two girls grinning at each other._

Lupa and Diana- **Tell 'em who's in charge so they don't forget!**

_Lupa strolls down the red carpet as the Redclaws take pictures of her on old-timey flashing cameras. Diana tosses photos of Lupa to the crowd._

Lupa- **What's my name, what's my name?**

Redclaws- **Lupa!**

Lupa- **Say it louder! What's my name, what's my name?**

Redclaws- **Lupa!  
**

Lupa- **Feel the power.**

_She reaches a stage and climbs up, sitting on the same prop moon from earlier and rising in the air._

Lupa- **No one's gonna stop us, soon the stage is gon' be ours! What's my name, what's my name? What's it, what's it? Say it, say it!**

_Redclaw performers take the stage behind Lupa, reaching up for her as the Redclaws in the crowd bow down slowly and repeatedly._

Redclaws- **Lu-u-u-u-pa! Lu-u-u-u-pa!**

Lupa- **All eyes on me, lemme see 'em!**

Redclaws- **Lu-u-u-u-pa! Lu-u-u-u-pa! Lu-u-u-pa-pa-pa! Lupa, Lupa, Lu-lu-lupa! Lupa, Lupa, Lu-lu-lupa! Lupa, Lupa, Lu-lu-lupa, Lupa!**

_Lupa jumps down from the moon, walking off the stage and behind various curtains so only her silhouette is visible. Her old clothes are thrown over the curtains as she sings._

Lupa- **I'm the queen of this pack! I call the shots, they know who I am! I say they word, they attack! Stand up to me, you don't stand a chance! It's our time, we up next!**

Redclaws- Next!

Lupa- **My tribe's as real as it gets! We've always been the best!**

_Lupa emerges, dressed in a bright red suit and tie and maroon pants. Diana joins her, now dressed in a traditional butler suit._

Lupa and Diana- **And we'll give them a show that they won't regret!**

_Lupa walks towards her throne as it's pushed forward by Redclaws, her attendants fussing with her on the way and applying makeup._

Lupa- **What's my name, what's my name?**

Redclaws- **Lupa!**

Lupa- **Say it louder! What's my name, what's my name?**

Redclaws- **Lupa!  
**

Lupa- **Feel the power.**

_Lupa lies across the throne as a wooden walkway is pushed in front of her, Diana stepping up onto it._

Lupa- **No one's gonna stop us, soon the stage is gon' be ours! What's my name, what's my name? What's it, what's it? Say it, say it!**

_As Lupa's attendants pull her hair into one large braid and apply more makeup and lipstick, Diana gets up and Lupa watches._

Diana- **You know what they say, bad girls have all the fun! Never learned how to count, 'cause she's number one! Ready, here we come, she always gets her way! It's the tribal life, every single day!**

Redclaws- Hey!

Diana- **She's the diva, I'm her costar! Enemies run away, don’t get far! She leads 'em on, pull 'em by the hook! Lupa's so hot, you get burned if you look!**

_Lupa grins and stands up as Diana bows. Lupa dramatically poses and snaps her fingers, falling back into her chair as some Redclaws pick it up and carry it around to the awe of the crowd. Lupa dangles her arm off to brush past her loyal subjects._

Lupa- **All eyes on me, lemme see 'em!**

_She winks to a group of Redclaw girls._

Lupa- **I see your eyes on me, girls! You know what my name is!**

_The Redclaws thrust her chair up, sending Lupa flying up. She plants a kiss on the camera, leaving a lipstick stain._

Lupa- **Say it, say it, loud!**

_Lupa lands not on her chair, but on the crowd below, walking across their hands._

Lupa- **What's my name, what's my name?**

Redclaws- **Lupa!**

Lupa- **Say it louder! What's my name, what's my name?**

Redclaws- **Lupa!  
**

Lupa- **Feel the power. No one's gonna stop us, soon the stage is gon' be ours! What's my name, what's my name? What's it, what's it? Say it, say it!**

_We see Lupa from the point of view of the cameras as she stride across the room, flashes appearing across the screen._

Redclaws- **Lu-u-u-u-pa! Lu-u-u-u-pa!**

Lupa- **All eyes on me, lemme see 'em!**

Redclaws- **Lu-u-u-u-pa! Lu-u-u-u-pa! Lu-u-u-pa-pa-pa! Lupa, Lupa, Lu-lu-lupa! Lupa, Lupa, Lu-lu-lupa! Lupa, Lupa, Lu-lu-lupa, Lupa!**

Lupa- **Ooh, say it louder!**

Redclaws- **Lupa, Lupa, Lu-lu-lupa!**

Lupa- **Ooh, say it louder!**

Redclaws- **Lupa, Lupa, Lu-lu-lupa, Lupa!  
**

_Lupa ends at the front of a crowd of adoring Redclaws being held back by Diana and other security as Lupa catches a top hat that falls from the ceiling and puts it on. Lupa turns around, her face now coated in heavy makeup, grinning._

Lupa- This will be the best show we've had in a long time.

_The Redclaws cheer, and we cut to later in the evening in the large field right behind Maple Valley. Tribal stands are set up everywhere with activities from the various tribes. Charlie and Amaru walk in, dressed in matching lion and snake onesies._

Charlie- Woah, this place is off the hook!

Amaru- Charlie, these matching onesies were such a good idea!

Charlie- I know, I know, I'm a genius.

Richard- Sir, what are you _wearing_?!

_Richard marches over to Charlie and Amaru, wearing the same sweatervest that Charlie got for him._

Charlie- Hey, Richie!

Amaru- You're really still keeping him around after he betrayed you?

Charlie- What can I say, I'm a softie.

Richard- Sir, is that… a onesie?

Charlie- Don't I look dashing? I see you're wearing that sweatervest I got you.

_Richard flushes._

Richard- It's just… very comfortable.

Charlie- You're cool hanging with us for the night, right, Amaru?

Amaru- Of course. I baked enough cookies to feed the whole school three times. Emilio will do fine serving them.

Richard- Which ones are poisoned?

_Amaru grins._

Amaru- That's the fun part.

Richard- Ugh, Charlie, do we have to spend the night with a _Biter_.

Amaru- I'm right here.

Charlie- Seriously, Richie? Tonight's about fun!  


Richard- Fun doesn't mean I abandon my loyalty to my tribe.

Charlie- You just need to chill out, Richie. Let go of all that anger…

Richard- Let go of _years_ of downright animosity? That would be downright villainous!

_Charlie and Amaru glance at each other, then each of them places an arm over Richard's shoulders as they walk through the fair._

Charlie- **Let me tell you something you can really trust… everybody's got a laid-back side!  
**

Amaru- **I know you think that you can never be like us. Watch and learn so you can it right!**

_Amaru and Charlie let go of Richard and head over to members of various tribes and academics, smiling and nodding at them as they sing._

Charlie and Amaru- **You need to drag your feet. You need to nod your head. You need to lean back. Just gotta relax.**

_Amaru pulls Richard towards them._

Amaru- **You need to not care.**

_Charlie wrenches Richard's head away as he glares at Amaru._

Charlie- Uh, you need to not stare.

Charlie and Amaru- **You need a whole lot of help.**

Charlie- You need to not be yourself.

_They slide away from Richard and Amaru leads the backup dancers as Charlie points at Richard dramatically._

Charlie- **You wanna be cool? Let me show you now. Need to break the ru-u-ules, and I can show you how. And once you catch this feeling…**

Charlie and Amaru- **And once you catch this feeling, you'll be chillin'… oh-oh!**

_Amaru and Charlie rush to Richard and put their arms around him again._

Charlie and Amaru- **Chillin like a villain!**

Charlie- **Chillin!**

Charlie and Amaru- **Chillin like a villain!**

Charlie- **Chillin!**

Charlie and Amaru- **Chillin like a villain!**

Charlie- Hey!

Charlie and Amaru- **Chillin like a, chillin like a villain!**

_Richard slips out of their arms._

Richard- Ugh! Even _if_ I did want to make friends with the enemy, I… I wouldn't know the first thing about how.

Charlie- Aw! He's secretly very sad! How cute!

Richard- I am _not_ cute!

Amaru- Richard, that's what we're here for! We can help you with all of this.

_They drag Richard over to a group of students, and he poorly imitates them as they interact with them._

Charlie and Amaru- **We're gonna watch your back! We'll show you around! You need to be real smooth!**

_Richard starts to speak, but Charlie and Amaru throw their hands up._

Charlie and Amaru- **Don’t make a sound. If you can't make it, fake it! Once you fake it, make it! If you care about your health…**

Charlie- Seriously, you need to _not_ be yourself.

_Charlie dances with the students they're interacting with._

Charlie- **You wanna be cool? Let me show you now. Need to break the ru-u-ules, and I can show you how. And once you catch this feeling…**

Charlie and Amaru- **And once you catch this feeling, you'll be chillin'… oh-oh! Chillin like a villain!**

Charlie- **Chillin!**

Charlie and Amaru- **Chillin like a villain!**

Charlie- **Chillin!**

Charlie and Amaru- **Chillin like a villain!**

Charlie- Hey!

Charlie and Amaru- **Chillin like a, chillin like a villain!**

Richard- I'm _trying_ , alright! These things don't come easily to me!

Amaru- Just take it easy, Richard! Blend in to the crowd.

Charlie- **He's right, we gotta stay low-key. Now show us how chill you can be.**

_Richard walks through numerous crowds, smiling at various students and sliding across tables._

Richard- Like this?

Charlie- **Yeah, yeah, yeah!  
**

Richard- Like this?

Charlie- **Yeah, yeah, yeah!**

_Richard rejoins Charlie and Amaru._

Charlie- **Oh yeah, I think you got this. Let's go, you're ready to rock this.**

_Richard grins and turns to Amaru._

Richard- **And I'm even gonna thank you for your help! I think I found the worst in myself!**

Charlie- **You wanna be cool? Let me show you now. Need to break the ru-u-ules, and I can show you how. And once you catch this feeling…**

Charlie, Richard, and Amaru- **And once you catch this feeling, you'll be chillin'… oh-oh! Chillin like a villain!**

Charlie- **Chillin!**

Charlie, Richard, and Amaru- **Chillin like a villain!**

Charlie- **Chillin!**

Charlie, Richard, and Amaru- **Chillin like a villain!**

Charlie- Hey!

Charlie, Richard, and Amaru- **Chillin like a, chillin like a villain!**

Richard- **A villain!**

_Richard bends over, panting._

Richard- Oh, god, that was exhausting. Never make me be friendly again.

Charlie- Aw, but didn't it feel a little good?

Richard- I'm not replying to that.

Amaru- That's a yes to my ears!

Rita- Hey, Notch!

_Rita runs up to them._

Charlie- Rita! I thought the Redclaws were running that museum thing?

Rita- I got the day off. Can I hang with you guys?

_Charlie and Amaru look at Richard, smirking._

Charlie- I don't know, _can_ she?

Richard- Mm…yes…

Karasu- Well, we're coming too.

_Everyone looks behind them to see Karasu and Xander._

Charlie, Amaru, Richard, Rita- Gah!

_Karasu is wearing a plague doctor style mask and scowls._

Karasu- Why did nobody tell me we were wearing onesies? N-not that I would want to, anyway!

Amaru- You left the group chat months ago.

Karasu- That was a dramatic statement! You guys are supposed to know to add me back!

Charlie- Enjoying the festivities, Alex?

Xander- You _know_ it's Xander.

_Charlie pouts._

Charlie- It's called an _affectionate nickname._

Xander- If you call me Alex, then I get to call you Insufferable Dork.

_Amaru hears a yell and turns to see Julio throwing down his bow at a target range._

Julio- Argh!

Amaru- Julio! Get over here!

_Julio runs angrily to Amaru._

Julio- Ugh! How am I gonna be a real Biter if I can't even shoot a bow!  


Amaru- It's okay, little Garcia. Everyone starts off bad, but I can show you how!  


Julio- Then come on, Maru!

Amaru- Why don't you hang out with us for right now. I can show you later.

_Julio eyes Karasu and crosses his arms angrily._

Julio- Fine!  


_Rita points to a large makeshift tower in the distance with various tribal flags adorning it._

Rita- Let's go see Lupa and do the history thing!  


Charlie- Sounds good to me!

_The gang begins walking over. Julio and Xander chat on the way there._

Julio- Xander, can you do the cool thing?

_Xander smiles slightly._

Xander- I don't have any-

_Julio shoves a piece of paper up towards Xander, and he rolls his eyes._

Xander- Fine.

_Xander quickly folds the paper into an origami crane and hands it to Julio._

Julio- Yay!

_Karasu poke their head under Xander's arm._

Karasu- Um, hey, Julio. How are you…

_Julio walks back up to Amaru, and Karasu scowls._

Karasu- So ungrateful.

Xander- You _did_ kidnap him.

Karasu- Kidnap, scmidnap. I said I was sorry!

_Xander gives Karasu a look._

Xander- Back off, Karasu.

Karasu- _Fine_.

_The gang arrive at the front of the tribal history museum, where Lupa and Diana are waiting in their dashing formal wear._

Diana- Come one, come all! Witness the wonders of tribal history through the ages!

Charlie- Um, Lupes, nice outfit and all, but I thought we agreed on doing fun tribal outfits.

_Lupa grins._

Lupa- Guess I forgot. But come on, don't you guys want to see the Valley as it was in ancient times!

Rita- Sounds fun to me! I love history!

Lupa- In you go, then!

_Lupa and Diana quickly usher them all into the hall and shut the door behind them, glancing at each other._

Diana- That outfit _is_ bomb, by the way.

_Lupa tosses her braid over her shoulder._

Lupa- Oh, I'm aware.

_We cut to the rest of the Valley crew walking through the halls, examining elaborate paintings and weapons preserved on the walls. They come across a paintball gun encased in glass._

Rita- Woah! What's this?

Charlie- Apparently, it's called a 'gun.'

Amaru- Decades ago, these powerful weapons were banned from the Valley, but legends say that some warriors refused to give up their guns and were banished forever…

_He feels behind him and notices his bow is gone from his back._

Amaru- Where's my-

_He turn around to see Julio struggling to hold the bow and nock an arrow._

Julio- Hold on, I've almost got it!  


Amaru- Young Garcia, wait, those arrows are poisoned!  


Julio- I can shoot it!

Karasu- Ooh, hit Xander!

_Julio slips up and fires the arrow across the room right into Charlie._

Charlie- Ah!

Julio- Ah!

Everyone- AH!

Charlie- Um, Amaru, what kind of poison is on these ones?

Amaru- I'm not sure… how do you feel?

Charlie- I don't feel anything…

_Richard gets in front of Charlie's face._

Richard- Sir, sir! Are you okay?

_He pulls out some paper._

Richard- Here, can you just fill out this dying request for me to take your role as leader?

_Charlie's pupils dilate and he adopts a stupid grin._

Charlie- Actually… I feel _great_.

Richard- Erm… sir?

Amaru- Uh-oh.

Xander- What?

Amaru- I think this might be one of my more _experimental_ mixtures.

_Charlie slings his arms around Richard._

Charlie- Richie… have you always looked so _dashing_?

_Richard is utterly disgusted._

Richard- Amaru. Fix this. Now.

_Charlie drunkenly slings a hand up to squeeze Richard's cheeks, much to his chagrin._

Charlie- Shush, shush, Richie. Right now, we're the only two people in the world…

_Richard pushes Charlie off of him, and Charlie flops back, only to bounce up onto a platform and begin tapping his foot._

Charlie- Sing with me, y'all…

Richard- Do _not_ sing with him!

_Everyone else is snickering._

Rita- Oh, this is too good.

_Karasu pulls Xander aside, but Rita, Amaru, and Julio joins Charlie as music begins to play and he turns around and points at Richard._

Charlie- **Did I mention that I'm in love with you? And did I mention there's nothing I can do?**

_Charlie shimmies up against Richard and pecks him on the cheek._

Charlie- **And did I happen to say, I dream of you every day? So let me-**

Rita, Amaru, Julio- Shout it out loud!

Charlie- **If that's okay, hey, hey… if that's okay…**

Richard- Somehow, I infinitely prefer you crushing my hopes and dreams to this.

_Charlie drunkenly stumbles through the others, but they prop him up and carry him._

Charlie- **I met this boy who rocked my world like it's never been rocked! And now I'm living just for him and I won't ever stop! I never thought that it could happen to a guy like me, but now look at what you've done!  
**

_Charlie gets thrown up and slides on his knees up to Richard._

Charlie- **You've got me down on my knees.**

_He jumps back to get caught by the others, and they surround Richard and push him and Charlie together._

Charlie- **Because my love for you is ridiculous! I never knew-**

Rita, Amaru, Julio- Who knew?

Charlie- **That it could be like this! My love for you is ridiculous! My love is R-I-D-I-C-U-L-O-U-S!**

_Charlie and the others proceed to do a dance that in NO WAY spells out the word 'ridiculous' (seriously Kenny Ortega what even was that?)_

Rita, Amaru, Julio- **R-I-D-I-C-U-L-O-U-S!**

Charlie- **It's…**

Rita, Amaru, Julio- Ridiculous!

Charlie- **Just…**

Rita, Amaru, Julio- Ridiculous!

_Charlie falls to his knees before Richard._

Charlie- **And I would give my kingdom for just one kiss! Now, did I mention-**

_Richard slaps Charlie multiple times across the face as the music squeaks out. Charlie just grins stupidly._

Charlie- Your touch is like a silk glove to my skin…

Richard- Ugh! Disgusting!  


Amaru- Savor this, Richard. It's the only time you two will get along.

_He turns to Julio._

Amaru- But we _do_ need to have a talk about bow safety.

Rita- Um, okay, so what are we going to do with-

_The lights suddenly go out._

Richard- What's that?

Charlie- Richie! I can't see your pretty face!

_The sound of yells and fighting is heard._

Amaru- Who's there? Who's AH!

Julio- Maru?!

_Julio squints and sees a shadow flitting across the screen. He growls._

Julio- Karasu!

_He yells and runs forward, tackling the shadow out of the air. Karasu yelps as the two of them roll through a doorway._

Rita- Guys, we need to get out!

_There's a rush of footsteps and clashing, and suddenly the sound of doors slamming shut. There's a pause._

Amaru- Um… guys?

_The lights suddenly turn back on, and Amaru finds himself facing Lupa and Diana. He chuckles._

Amaru- Oh, you two decided to join us?

_Lupa grins, and Amaru falters. We get an old-school horror movie dolly zoom as Amaru screams, as we cut to Karasu and Julio groaning and getting up in a new room surrounding by mannequins dressed in clothing reminiscent of a warrior of the caliphate._

Karasu- Ugh…

Julio- Grah! Great, now you trapped us all in here!

Karasu- What… trapped?

_Karasu rises to see the closed door._

Karasu- I didn't shut the door…

Julio- Oh, yeah right!

_Julio runs at Karasu, and they easily avoid his attacks._

Karasu- Look, it was just supposed to be a little scare for fun! We'd string up Richard, bruise Amaru. You know, fun stuff!

Julio- Well, clearly, _someone_ shut those-

_He pauses as he hears a noise._

Julio- Um… what was that?

Karasu- Get behind me.

Julio- Don't try and protect me!

_Around them, the mannequins begin to move and pull out scimitars._

Julio- Um, Karasu… are those statues moving?

Karasu- Those statues are moving.

Julio- Run?

Karasu- Run.

_The two of them sprint to another door on the opposite side of the room as the mannequins, who are now clearly soldiers in disguise, rush off their pedestals towards them. Karasu and Julio slam the door and pile various tribal artifacts in front of the door._

Julio- Okay, how are we-

Karasu- You could have come back with us to the Nightfeathers, you know.

_Julio is taken aback._

Julio- What?

Karasu- Y-you were doing well with us! Y-you could have kept that up.

Julio- Y-you think I would ever want to go with _you_?

Karasu- I told you the truth!

Julio- _Eventually_!

Karasu- Better than never!

Julio- I thought you were sorry.

Karasu- I am! So it's okay now, right?

Julio- No! It's super not!

Karasu- I… I cared about you.

Julio- You just cared about me because of my _father_.

_There's a bash at the door, and Julio panics._

Julio- They're coming in!

Karasu- I'm not done! Music, please!

_Music begins to play as Karasu pulls Julio to his feet._

Karasu- **Listen little boy, you're talking on and on, and I don't wanna hear the drama!**

_Julio frowns._

Karasu- **Kindness ain't my brand.**

Julio- Yeah, that's why I ran.

Karasu- **And it wasn't just because of your father.**

Julio- **I'm not here to fight, for once do something right!**

Karasu- Ugh, kid… were you expecting flowers?

Julio- **I'm only talking cause I need you for something!  
**

Karasu- **I've given you everything!**

Julio- **By giving me nothing!**

Karasu- **I did what I had to do!**

Julio- **No, you only did what's best for you.**

Karasu- **Well, you could learn a thing or two. When push comes to shove, you do what you gotta do!**

_Karasu lets go of Julio and walks around him._

Karasu- **How 'bout you come with me and we'll spend some time?**

Julio- **How 'bout you shut up, 'cause you're out of your mind!**

Karasu- **Let's make new memories, I can show you the town!**

Julio- **No, you can keep your memories now.**

Karasu and Julio- Ugh, get _over_ it!

_They stare at each other._

Karasu and Julio- I am over it!

_They each curl their lips in disgust._

Karasu and Julio- I'm over you being over it!

_They both back up and circle each other._

Karasu and Julio- **I did what I had to do! No, you only did what's best for you! But you could learn a thing or two! When push comes to shove you do… when push comes to shove you do-o… when push comes to shove you do what you gotta do!**

_They're interrupted as they end by the sound of the door being slammed against more._

Karasu and Julio- Ah!

Julio- Just help me fight them off!  


Karasu- Will you come with me if I do?

Julio- Ugh, why are you being such a pain!

Karasu- I have lots of feelings that I can't deal with properly, okay!

Julio- Just help me!

Karasu- Fine, but only because _I_ want to.

_The door bursts open and the mannequin soldiers rush in. Julio prepares to fight them, but they all rush towards Karasu._

Karasu- Hey! The kid's right there!

Julio- Hey!

Karasu- YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN!

_Julio goes to help Karasu fight them off._

Julio- Hey look, Karasu, I'm _helping someone else_. Try it sometime!

Karasu- Is _now_ really the time?

Julio- It's always the-

_Julio gets knocked aside and Karasu gets swarmed._

Julio- Karasu!

_Karasu tries to fight them off, but they quickly get overwhelmed. Julio rises to his feet._

Julio- You owe me one if I save you.

Karasu- Ugh, _fine_.

_Julio starts to run towards Karasu and the soldiers, but a trapdoor opens beneath them and they drop down. The trapdoor quickly closes, and Julio is left alone._

Julio- Um… Karasu?

_We cut to Charlie, Richard, and Rita walking cautiously in a hall. They enter into a room with ancient Sunlion sets of armor in it._

Rita- Ugh, we haven't found the others anywhere!

Charlie- Well, at least my precious little Richie is okay!

Richard- How long is this love potion going to last for!?

Rita- Just relax, Richard. Maybe we should just hunker down here.

Richard- Oh, like you know anything, _Redclaw_.

Rita- Oh, we're on this?! Who knows what's after us?

Richard- Whatever's after us, I wouldn't trust _you_ to plan our defense.

_Charlie comes up to Richard from behind and puts his head on Richard's shoulder._

Charlie- Mm, Richie, so _aggressive._ You're soooo much cuter when you're not angry.

_Richard angrily ducks out from under Charlie._

Rita- Well, you're gonna have to learn to work with me!  


Richard- Just follow my lead, Redclaw.

_Rita scowls as the three of them walk to the door, only for Xander to stumble in._

Richard- Xander?

Rita- Ah! Witch!  


_She raises a lit torch from nowhere but Richard takes it and tosses it aside._

Xander- I totally just stumbled in here after the attack, same as you.

Richard- You didn't have anything to _do_ with it?

Xander- Nope. Definitely not.

_Richard narrows his eyes, but Charlie stumbles past him and pulls Xander's mouth into a smile._

Charlie- Look at his face, Richie. He's so trustworthy.

Xander- That poison is still active, I see.

Rita- Is he casting a spell? I can assemble a pyre in ten seconds if I need to.

Xander- Look, Richard, if I had theoretically been part of this attack, then I probably would have gotten bored and looked for you guys.

Richard- Ugh! So I'm allied with an inebriated leader, a potential threat, and a member of an enemy tribe!

Rita- Watch your mouth, Morris.

Richard- How do you know my last name?

Rita- Student directories, sucker!

Charlie- Guys… let's just keep moving.

_He squeezes Richard's cheeks._

Charlie- We can't have them finding us and hurting my precious baby boy.

_Richard's eye twitches._

Richard- Does someone want to be killed first?

Xander- Charlie's right. Let's go.

_They turn around to leave only to find the door blocked by the foam swords of the suits of armor._

Rita- Um…

_The armor scrapes as they begin to move, lifting their swords and stepping off their podiums._

Richard- ERM… WHAT?!

_The four of them turn around to face the suits of armor as music begins to play._

Richard, Rita, Charlie- **Watch your back, watch your back, watch your back, watch your back! We can counter their attack, hit 'em 'til the armor cracks!**

_Rita slams her axe against one of the armored soldier's swords._

Rita- **This could get a little sticky! How to win this battle could be tricky! But I know the best way; fall back, let me lead, you hold the line and we'll bring them to their knees!**

_Richard shoulders her out of the way to fight the soldiers himself._

Richard- **Swords in the air, if you're with me! They got outnumbered one to twenty! But victory is ours, 'cause I've got a strategy, you take the left and the rest of you can follow me!**

Rita- **This is my crew!**

Richard- **This is my squad!**

Rita- **This is my turf!**

_Charlie comes up behind them._

Charlie- **You guys, oh my god. Look guys, we've got bigger fish to fry. Put your differences aside, 'cause right now we're on the same side.**

_Charlie jumps to a podium in the center and poses dramatically._

Charlie- **Until the night falls, everyone! We'll stay together 'til the battle is done!**

Richard, Rita, Charlie- **Watch your back, watch your back, watch your back, watch your back! We can counter their attack, hit 'em 'til the armor cracks!**

Charlie- **Until the night falls, we're aligned! It doesn't mean that we're on the same side!**

Richard, Rita, Charlie- **Watch your back, watch your back, watch your back, watch your back! Hit 'em hard and hit 'em fast, they're too heavy to react!**

_While Charlie and Xander take on some enemies on the other side of the room, Richard and Rita both duck under a sword swipe and slam a soldier to the ground._

Richard- **This situation's getting kinda heavy! Hold your weapons tight, keep 'em steady! 'Cause if we stick together, we can make it out alive. I'll cause a distraction, you attack them from the side.**

_Richard clashes with a soldier and Rita barrels into them from the side._

Rita- **All my soldiers stand at the ready! We can cut 'em up like confetti! We'll hit 'em from the front, you counter from behind! Don't forget that all of our necks are on the line!**

_Rita, Richard, Xander, and Charlie go back to back in the center of the room._

Richard, Rita, Charlie- **This is all out war, they've got us outnumbered! The way the swords clash is the sound of the thunder!**

Rita- **And we are never going under, we will never run for cover!**

Richard, Rita, Charlie- **We battle for the victory and ride for each other!**

Charlie- **Until the night falls, everyone! We'll stay together 'til the battle is done!**

Richard, Rita, Charlie- **Back to back, back to back, back to back, back to back! We can counter their attack, hit 'em 'til the armor cracks!**

Charlie- **Until the night falls, we're aligned! It doesn't mean that we're on the same side!**

Richard, Rita, Charlie- **Back to back, back to back, back to back, back to back! Hit 'em hard and hit 'em fast, they're too heavy to react!**

_The four of them look at each other and leap into action. Xander kicks a soldier and knocks them straight out, Charlie trips up several with his ribbon, and Richard and Rita work together to take down a whole group of soldiers._

Richard, Rita, Charlie- **Until the night falls, you can trust, I'm gonna help you win this battle because… I got your back, got your back, got your back, got your back! All for one and that's a fact! Knights fall, pitch black!**

_The four of them stop fighting, and after a second, all the armored soldiers fall to the ground. Rita and Richard exchange a glance._

Richard- You… weren't awful.

Rita- You're not so bad yourself.

_Charlie comes up between them, grinning._

Charlie- Nice job, y'all!

Xander- Oh, sure, ignore the work I did just because I can't participate in the musical number.

Richard- Charlie… did that awful poison wear off?

_Charlie chuckles._

Charlie- Oh, that wore off ages ago. Teasing you is _very_ fun, though.

_Rita's eyes widen as she sees one of the armored soldiers reaching for Charlie's ankle._

Rita- Notch!  


_Charlie looks down just as he's grabbed and dragged into a trapdoor which closes behind them._

Richard- Sir!  


Xander- Oh no. What a tragedy.

_Rita goes and shakes awake one of the armored soldiers._

Rita- Where did they go?!

Soldier- Go… go to the roof.

_Rita narrows her eyes and removes the soldier's helmet, and she gasps._

Rita- Leon?

Richard- You know him?

Rita- He's a Redclaw…

_She growls._

Rita- Lupa, what did you do?

_Richard hears a bang at the door, and slowly opens it to look outside only for Julio to burst in._

Xander- Julio?

Richard- Garcia?

Julio- Have… have you guys seen Amaru?

_We cut to Lupa and Diana on the roof of the building, looking at Karasu, Amaru, and Charlie, who are all tied up and currently standing on a plank that hangs off the building._

Lupa- Ah, Di, our plan's almost at its climax!

Charlie- Um, I love helping you out with whatever you're doing, Lupes, but I would prefer you _ask_ me first.

Karasu- And what even is your aesthetic? You've got business suits but you're making us walk the plank?

Diana- Don't you _dare_ question her style!

Lupa- Besides, you don't _have_ to walk the plank… if the others do their part, that is.

Rita- LUPA!

_Lupa and Diana turn to see Richard, Rita, Xander, and Julio emerging up onto the roof._

Lupa- Ah, we've been waiting for you guys!

Julio- Amaru!

Amaru- Not to worry, young Garcia. I'll be fine.

Charlie- Hey, Richie!

_Diana turns around and gags all three of them._

Diana- Shut up! Dramatic moment incoming!

Lupa- I'm glad you four made it out… this is exactly what I wanted.

Xander- What are you talking about?

Lupa- Don't you see? In the grand theater of the Valley, you've been nothing but side characters so far, offering one-liners and assisting in the arcs of the leads! But now I've placed the spotlight upon you! So go ahead, take center stage!

Rita- Lupa… shows require conflict…

_Lupa grins maniacally._

Lupa- Precisely!  


_She nods, and some Redclaws prod Amaru, Charlie, and Karasu on the plank. Lupa gestures to Julio, Richard, and Rita._

Lupa- And that's why if those three don't give up their territory to the Redclaws and let us win the war forever, we'll send them off the plank!

Rita- WHAT?!

_Lupa extends a hand to Rita._

Lupa- Join us, Rita. We need nothing from you.

Rita- Are you kidding? No way!  


Lupa- Ooh, rejecting her villainous cohorts. _So_ heroic.

Diana- _So_ heroic.

_Xander, Julio, Rita, and Richard all raise their weapons/fists, and Lupa and Diana raise their hands and more Redclaws come up behind them. Music begins to play._

Lupa- **Let's get this party started, I swear I'm cold hearted. There's no negotiation, I'm not here for debatin'. You need some motivation? Just look at their faces and ask yourselves how long you think I'll remain patient!**

Richard- Is she serious about this?

Rita- It's Lupa. She always commits to her performances.

Richard- Ugh, I'll handle this.

_Richard walks out to meet Lupa._

Richard- **Let's all just be smart, although for you that must be hard. Just give them up; no one has to come to any harm. Don't try to intimidate, your bark is much worse than your bite. Who's the one to back down first? I guess we're finding out tonight!**

_Lupa backs up and her Redclaws advances threateningly._

Redclaws- **Let's go, bring it on, better give us what we want! Give up your land, just give up now, if you don't it's goin down.**

_Richard backs up and the four of them advance in turn._

Richard, Rita, Julio- **Let's go, make your move, peace or war it's up to you. Give 'em up and do it now, if you don't, it's goin down!**

Redclaws- **Don't drag this on, or else your friends are gone!**

_Diana dangles a pocket watch._

Redclaws- **Your time is running out, you should really watch your mouth.**

Richard, Rita, Julio- **Let's go, pound for pound, we're prepared to stand our ground. Put your swords up, put 'em up! It's goin down!**

_The Redclaws bang their spears on the floor as they create a formation around Lupa and Diana._

Redclaws- **Oh-oh, oh-oh, oh-oh, make the trade! Oh-oh, oh-oh, oh-oh, or walk the plank! Oh-oh, oh-oh, oh-oh, make the trade! Oh-oh, oh-oh, oh-oh, or walk the plank!**

_Rita advances angrily towards Lupa, but Diana steps in front._

Rita- **Okay, look, this is not a conversation, it's a do-or-die situation! If you don't give us back our friends I'll have no hesitation! I'll serve you right here, and I don't need a reservation. That way your whole 'villain crew' can have a demonstration. Release them now, and we can go our separate ways. Unless you wanna deal with us… and we're ready to play.**

_Diana scoffs and prods her finger at Rita's face._

Diana- **So that's your big speech, huh, an empty ultimatum? All it takes is one swing and I'll humiliate them! Matter of fact, make one wrong move and I'll debilitate them! And if they even start to slip I'll eliminate them! All it takes it ONE WRONG LOOK AND-**

_Lupa pulls Diana back._

Lupa- Di, we get it. Chill.

Redclaws- **Let's go, bring it on, better give us what we want! Give up your land, just give up now, if you don't it's goin down.**

_Rita jumps back and the others toss her up._

Richard, Rita, Julio- **Let's go, make your move, peace or war it's up to you. Give 'em up and do it now, if you don't, it's goin down!**

Redclaws- **Don't drag this on, or else your friends are gone!**

_The Redclaws form a clock with their arms._

Redclaws- **Your time is running out, you should really watch your mouth.**

Richard, Rita, Julio- **Let's go, pound for pound, we're prepared to stand our ground. Put your swords up, put 'em up! It's goin down!**

_The Redclaws slowly start to prod Karasu, Amaru, and Charlie off the plank._

Redclaws- **Oh-oh, oh-oh, oh-oh, make the trade! Oh-oh, oh-oh, oh-oh, or walk the plank! Oh-oh, oh-oh, oh-oh, make the trade! Oh-oh, oh-oh, oh-oh, or walk the plank!**

Xander- I'm bored. I don't sing, so can we just end this.

_Xander pulls a knife out from his pocket and tosses it to Karasu, who jumps up to catch it, quickly cutting themselves free and then the others as well. The Redclaws immediately run to attack Karasu, Amaru, and Charlie, but they manage to hold them off as Richard, Rita, Xander, and Julio rush into to take on the other enemies._

Everyone- **Let's go, bring it on! Bring it on, it's goin down! Your time is running out, bring it on, it's goin down! Let's go, bring it on! Bring it on, it's goin down! Your time is running out, bring it on, it's goin down!**

Richard, Rita, Julio- **Oh-oh, oh-oh, oh-oh, oh-oh! Oh-oh, oh-oh, oh-oh, oh-oh!**

_Lupa jumps up to a high platform on the roof, pointing down to her Redclaws below as they fight._

Lupa- **What's my name? What's my name, WHAT'S MY NAME!? Say it looooooud!**

_As Lupa finishes her note, Diana is the only Redclaw left standing._

Diana- Um… Lupa? We might have a-

_Xander elbows her in the head and she's out cold. Rita yells up to Lupa._

Rita- Hey, Lupa! Is the show over yet?

Lupa- Not quite! The final twist is that I… was your sister!

_There's a pause._

Rita- That's kind of stupid.

Lupa- It sounded better in my head.

_She sighs and jumps down._

Lupa- Okay, I'm done!

Karasu- Did you _really_ have to kidnap us just for that?

Lupa- Oh, come on!

_She gestures to Richard, Rita, Xander, and Julio._

Lupa- Didn't you guys feel a little more heroic than usual, saving your leaders?

Julio- It… it _was_ kind of thrilling.

Rita- I already saved you from being evil once. Twice just felt repetitive.

Richard- Having Charlie completely helpless was surprisingly therapeutic.

_Xander subtly signs to Karasu._

Xander- You want me to tell everyone how you got tied up and almost had to walk the plank.

_Karasu frowns and signs back._

Karasu- Don’t you dare.

Charlie- Well, _I_ thought it was an excellent performance, Lupes!

  
Amaru- And look, you all!

_He points over the side of the building, and everyone looks over to see the festivities abuzz with lights and noise. Even the academics below seem to be enjoying themselves._

Charlie- Looks like even the academics are having a bit of fun! We might convert them yet!

Karasu- Not if Lupa gives them the same show she gave us.

_They all laugh, but are interrupted by the noise of a car horn as Charlie's moms' car swerves around the building, narrowly avoiding several children. Anna-May and Virginia get out of the car excitedly. Charlie squints and yells down to them._

Charlie- Moms?

Anna-May- Hi, Charlie!

Virginia- We brought illegal fireworks!

_Charlie grins._

Charlie- Be right there!

_We cut to a bunch of fireworks being shot above Maple Valley and the surrounding forest. A young Sterling and Hannah watch from Woodsworth._

Hannah- Woah, what's happening-

_Sterling slaps her wrist and she falls silent._

Sterling- Pay no attention to them.

_A young James, Charlotte, and AJ watch from the Forrester courtyard as they examine some papers._

AJ- Where's that coming from?

James- AJ! Focus on the planning!

_Across the lake from Maple Valley, the towering white school of Barkbury stands higher than any other school. On the balcony of the top floor, two identical boys watch the fireworks. One is grinning, and the other is looking a bit more thoughtfully. Then we cut to the Valley where everyone at the festival is celebrating together. The four leaders jump onstage and smile._

Valley- **Oh-hay, oh-hay, hey!**

Karasu- **Spread your wings, it's our time to rise! Write the book, the story of our lives! This is us taking back the night!  
**

Valley- **Oh-hay, oh-hay, hey!**

_Charlie pulls Karasu over and wraps his arms around them._

Charlie- **Break tradition, we were born this way! Be yourself every single day! Everybody raise your hands and say-**

Valley- **Oh-hay, oh-hay, hey!**

_Lupa jumps in front of the two of them and poses dramatically._

Lupa- **Sound the alarm, get on your feet! Let's set it off and rock this beat! Dance 'til your heart is wild and free!**

Valley- **Oh-oh, oh-oh, oh!**

Amaru- **Feeling the power, let it all out! Like what you see in the mirror shout! We got the keys, the future's ours!**

Valley- **Oh-oh, oh-oh, oh!**

_The entire Valley backs up around the stage to form a circle._

Valley- **Oh-hay, oh-hay, hey!**

_The four leaders onstage face each other, grinning._

Everyone- **Let's set it off! Oh yeah! Start a chain reaction, never let it stop! Let's set if off! Oh yeah! You can make it happen with everything you got! Let's set it!  
**

_Everyone including the four onstage forms groups of four and move in a circle._

Everyone- **Get ready, set it off! We 'bout to set it off! Get ready, set it off! We 'bout to set it off!**

_Amaru jumps offstage to join Julio, and the two go back to back._

Amaru and Julio- **It's set to set this thing off, let's make it happen now! I'll make my own future, ignore all the rumors, show 'em how passion sounds.**

Julio- **They all told me I should back down, judging me 'cause of my background, thinking 'bout changing my path now!  
**

Amaru and Julio- **I ain't goin' out like that now!**

_Rita is suddenly pulled into a dip by a confident-looking and grinning Lupa. Rita flushes as Lupa pulls her up._

Lupa- **Feeling the power, let it all out! Like what you see in the mirror, shout!**

Lupa and Rita- **We've got the keys, the future's ours!**

Everyone- **Oh-oh, oh-oh, oh! Oh yeah!**

_Everyone pairs up to start dancing together._

Everyone- **Let's set it off! Oh yeah! Start a chain reaction, never let it stop! Let's set if off! Oh yeah! You can make it happen with everything you got! Let's set it!  
**

_Each pair does the EXACT dance from Descendants. Karasu starts to walk offstage, but Charlie pulls them back so they can dance together. Julio dances on Amaru's toes, Lupa and Rita dance together, and Virginia and Anna-May happily dance while firing fireworks randomly. Richard is sitting glumly on a bench when Xander comes up to him._

Xander- This is exclusively because I feel sorry for you.

_Xander pulls Richard up to dance._

Everyone- **Get ready, set it off! We 'bout to set it off! Get ready, set it off! We 'bout to set it off!**

_They suddenly all separate into their tribes for a dance break. Virginia joins the Sunlions, and Anna-May joins the Redclaws. The Nightfeathers perform an acrobatic routine. The Jadebiters have strong motions, stomping in unison. The Sunlions have a more medieval waltz, and the Redclaws clang their weapons together as they weave around each other. As the dance break ends, Karasu gasps as they're pulled back over to Charlie by his ribbon, looking up at him and flushing._

Everyone- **Let's set it off! Oh yeah! Start a chain reaction, never let it stop! Let's set if off! Oh yeah! You can make it happen with everything you got! Let's set it!**

_We pan up to the fireworks as the singing continues._

Everyone- **Get ready, set it off! We 'bout to set it off! Get ready, set it off! We 'bout to set it off!**

_End episode._


	50. Rule the School S3E1

**Episode One: Sports and Courts**

Synopsis: Charlie comes back to school, and his friends try to welcome him back with some sports.

_We open on a bedroom in the early morning. A figure is sleeping in the bed. Suddenly, an alarm clock goes off, and Charlie's eyes shoot open immediately. He jumps out of bed, clearly startled, and relaxes. We see him getting ready in the morning, brushing his teeth and rubbing his eyes. We see him looking at himself in the mirror as he puts on his aviator jacket. He frowns, and eventually removes it. Then he looks across his room, where his ribbon is lying under photos and trophies from his dance days. He goes to grab the ribbon, but pulls his hand back and leaves his room. We see him eating breakfast, dressed in a black hoodie as his moms Virginia and Anna May bustle around the kitchen._

Charlie- Um… momma?

_They both turn towards him._

Charlie- Can I get dropped off at Forrester today? I got somethin' I need to pick up.

Virginia- Sure, Charlie, sure.

_She turns to Anna May._

Virginia- Can you get ingredients from the store? I'm having the local gardening club over today.

Anna May- Gardening club? I'm having a luncheon with the ladies! I told you about this!

_As they have a small argument, Charlie pulls out his phone. We see that he has several missed calls and a voicemail from James. He turns his attention back to his moms._

Virginia- Oh, I'm so sorry, honey. I love you.

Anna May- I love you too. Your gardening _is_ important to me, sugar.

_Charlie clears his throat, and they turn to him._

Virginia- Oh, right. We should be going.

Anna May- I'll get the snacks for the ride!

_We cut to them driving, Charlie in the back seat, his headphones around his neck._

Virginia- So, honey, how did that little competition between the schools go?

Charlie- It was… it was a war.

_Anna May laughs._

Anna May- That's what we would call them back in our day, too! We were so competitive… losing felt like torture!

_Charlie slightly winces at the word. As his moms talk to each other, he puts on his headphones and clicks on the voicemail from James._

James (voice)- Um, hey, Charlie. I, uh, hope you're doing well. We're all excited to have you come back to school, but we thought we should give you some updates about what's happened after the war.

_We see shots of what James is talking about as he speaks. Firstly, a shot of James and Will overlooking Forrester._

James (voice)- Will and I have barely had time to leave Forrester. I've been trying to efficiently catalog the backgrounds of all our students, but Will insists on some public appearances.

_We see James and Will being interviewed._

James- So, what questions do you have about our latest policies?

Interviewer- So… when are you two planning the wedding?

_James flushes and panics._

James- What? How do you know about… we're just-

Will- We'll keep you posted.

_He winks, and James glares at him._

James (voice)- I can't say I enjoy them, but the approval ratings are rising.

_We see a shot of Charlotte overlooking Woodsworth from a balcony._

James (voice)- We sent Charlotte over to manage Woodsworth for the time being. She said she made Mr. Liev give her some device to monitor all the students' phones.

_We see Charlotte confronting a student._

Charlotte- Kyle… I heard you're planning a party tomorrow.

Student- Um… yeah? You want in?

Charlotte- Well, actually, it'll coincide with the monthly fundraiser. You'll have to move it.

Student- What? No way, I'm not moving it!

_Charlotte rolls her eyes and snaps her fingers. Two guards threateningly appear behind her._

Student- On second thought…

_Charlotte waves him away._

Charlotte- Great, great. Now get out of here.

_We see Lauren training the troops of Forrester, this time_ not _by beating them up, but by holding a mock battle between them._

James (voice)- Lauren's been hard at work training both Forrester and Woodsworth's troops.

Lauren- All right! Winner gets bragging rights and a bigger share of the ammo! Now fight!

_The two armies battle as Lauren observes. Then we see Hannah consulting with some students._

James (voice)- Hannah, for some reason, has insisted we start listening to the student representatives for once. Well, at least it'll hopefully appease the commoners.

_We see AJ wearing a picture of James over his face as he attacks a scarecrow of the Whisperer._

James (voice)- And AJ… he says he's doing propaganda work, but I think he just wanted to perform his latest screenplay.

AJ- I, James Orwick, will defeat you, Whisperer!

_He picks up the scarecrow and talks for it._

AJ- Oh, no, I lost. Please just tell that guy AJ that I think he's totally awesome!

James (voice)- If anything, I think it’s raising moral among the students.

_We see Lupa and Amaru at Maple Valley._

James (voice)- Lupa and Amaru are holding down the fort at Maple Valley. They're still willing to accept your leadership. You know, when you're ready and everything. The Nightfeathers haven't been seen at all, though.

_We cut back to Charlie in the car._

James (voice)- But anyway, you're welcome to come to any school for your first day. We'll be waiting for you, Charlie. See you.

_The voicemail ends, and Charlie takes his headphones off and lays them beside him._

Virginia- Charlie, we're here!

_The car screeches to a halt, and Charlie gets out._

Anna May- Have a great day, honey.

Virginia- We love you!

_Charlie nods, forcing a smile._

Charlie- Bye, Mom.

Virginia and Anna May- Bye, honey!

_Charlie trudges up the stairs to Forrester, and we see the bustling little city that Forrester has become. Soldier patrol the borders, merchants peddle wares like test answers and gossip, and artists paint clay sculptures of James and Will. Suddenly, a voice rings out from the crowd._

Lauren- Notch!

_She runs towards him with her axe, ready to strike. Charlie frantically turns his head away and raises his arms. Lauren, confused, stops in front of him._

Lauren- Charlie, it's fine.

_He opens his eyes and looks at her._

Lauren- I wasn't going to… just come with me.

_She pulls him along with her._

Charlie- Sorry.

Lauren- Eh, don't worry about it. I can spar with one of the deputies instead.

_This only makes Charlie more self-conscious, and he frowns slightly._

Lauren- Yeah, Charlotte couldn't find a good sheriff at Woodsworth, so I'm doing double duty at both schools. But hey, at least I get to use both break rooms. Forrester has better food, but Woodsworth has a gaming system!

_She continues to talk until they reach the auditorium, where James is waiting._

James- Charlie! Welcome back!

Charlie- Hey, James. I like what you've done with Forrester

James- _Thank_ you. Will wasn't sure my more laissez-faire approach to the school's economy would work, but so far it's being going great!

_He breezes past Charlie and Lauren._

James- Now, if you want to talk more, I'm afraid you'll have to come to my office between 2:30 and 2:31. I'm pretty packed today.

Charlie- Yeah, of course, of course. But where's-

_The lights go out._

Lauren- What was that?

James- Oh, no. I forgot that Will-

_A spotlight shines on stage to reveal Will and several backup dancers, including AJ. A giant banner reading 'Welcome Back, Charlie!' comes down from the ceiling as Will dances on stage. He grabs a rope and swings over to Charlie._

Backup Dancer- **Oooo.**

Backup Dancer- **Oooo.**

Backup Dancer- **Oooo.**

AJ (off-key)- **OOOO.**

Will- Welcome back, Charlie!

_The lights come back on, and Will shakes Charlie's hand._

Will- Smile for the camera!

_Charlie is confused as a photographer appears from nowhere and takes a picture of the handshake._

Will- Okay, put that in _Forrester Weekly_. 'Benevolent Leader Welcomes Friend,' how does that sound?

Photographer- Excellent, sir.

_AJ comes running down from the stage._

Will- Thanks for the help, AJ.

AJ- No problem. Good to see you, Charlie.

Charlie- Yeah… good to be back.

_James tries to walk away, but Will pulls him back and plants a kiss on his cheek. James goes red and furiously rubs at his cheek._

James- I-I have meetings!

_He runs away, and Will giggles. Charlie can't help it._

Charlie- So…

Will- Yep. Co-leaders _and_ boyfriends.

_Charlie cracks a smile._

Charlie- Congratulations.

Lauren- Ah! He smiles! Finally!

_Lauren laughs, and Charlie, Will, and AJ join him._

AJ- Anyway, Charlie, I cleared my whole day so we can have fun together! James has been so busy lately, I haven't had any guy time, you know?

Will- You _could_ always invite me, AJ.

AJ- Will, the last time we hung out, you spent the whole time asking about James' favorite things.

_Will sighs._

Will- Guilty.

Charlie- Sounds great, AJ. You wanna hunt, or maybe we can skin some lamb for lunch later?

_AJ goes pale._

AJ- I was, uh, thinking that we could, uh, play videogames but… that's cool too.

Lauren- C'mon, Notch, don’t scare him on your first day back!

_Suddenly all of their phones buzz and they pull them out._

Will- Yes! Charlotte and Hannah are coming over the lake!

Lauren- Well, this'll take five minutes out of James' schedule… he won't be happy.

_James' voice echoes from a distant hallway._

James- ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!

_Charlie, Will, AJ, and Lauren stay silent for a second, then burst out in laughter. We cut to James, Will, Lauren, AJ, and Charlie walking out the lake as a yacht docks. Hannah and Charlotte step off the yacht to greet the others. Hannah rushes over to Charlie and fusses over him._

Hannah- Charlie! It's been so long! You didn't text or anything!

Charlie- I-

Hannah- You don’t look like you've been sleeping. If you're gonna have bags under your eyes, at least cover them up!

_She pulls out a makeup kit, but Charlotte pushes her hand down._

Charlotte- Thank you, Hannah.

_She curtly nods at Charlie._

Charlotte- Charlie.

Charlie- Charlotte.

_She turns to James and Will._

Charlotte- Hannah's been a great help over at Woodsworth. She knows the school better than any of us, and for some reason the people seem to like her more than me.

AJ- Um… have you tried smiling?

_Charlotte snaps her fingers, and her guards point their guns at AJ. He gulps._

James- Well done over there, Charlotte. Have you implemented our new economic system over at Woodsworth?

Charlotte- I think I'm going to test a sort of socialist dictatorship, actually.

_James rolls his eyes._

James- That's demonstrably proven not to work in the past! Are you kidding me?

Charlotte- With the right methods and mindset, I think it can-

Lauren- Oh, shut up. Your politics make my ears bleed.

AJ- Maybe you just need some good PR, Charlotte. I could come over and perform for Woodsworth if you want.

_Charlotte is visibly aghast._

Will- _Anyways_ … what brings you ladies across the lake?

Hannah- We need to celebrate Charlie coming back, of course!

Charlotte- We cleared all of Woodsworth's courts and fields… we're going to have a sports day.

Lauren- That's awesome, Char! This is gonna be so much fun, right, Notch?

_Charlie is clearly distracted._

Charlie- I, um… yeah. Of… of course.

_Hannah looks concernedly at Charlie._

James- Well, you all have fun. I'm a little a lot busy today.

_Hannah grabs James by the ear and pulls him aside._

James- Ouch!

Hannah- James, you are _not_ getting out of this one.

James- But… my meetings!

_Hannah gestures at Charlie._

Hannah- Look at him, he's not himself!

_She leans in._

Hannah- We have no idea what the Whisperer did to him, but clearly it's taken a toll. He needs all of us right now.

_James looks towards Charlie, and his expression softens._

James- Okay… you're right, Hannah. A noble leader must sometimes sacrifice for his citizens.

_Hannah rolls her eyes._

Hannah- He's not your citizen, dummy. How about you help him as his _friend_?

James- Yeah… that, too.

_They turn back towards the group._

James- Let's do it!

Charlie- I mean, you really don't have to-

Hannah- It's fine, Charlie! This is gonna be so much fun!

_We cut to the gang riding across the lake on the yacht. Charlie sits in the back, looking at the water. While the others talk, Will pulls Charlotte aside._

Charlotte- Will, I told you, I'm just testing a new economic policy. It's not-

Will- Not that Charlotte.

_He points towards Charlie._

Charlotte- What about him? He's been acting weaker than usual, sure. At this rate, the tribes might not follow him anymore.

Will- Charlotte… he came back to school, but I don’t think he's completely recovered from the war.

Charlotte- Evidently.

Will- I think you should talk to him.

_Charlotte's stoic expression breaks as she becomes flustered._

Charlotte- Me? Will, I can't. You know I'm no good with-

Will- Exactly. It'll mean a lot coming with you.

_He pushes Charlotte towards Charlie, and she nervously walks towards him._

Charlotte- So… you go out on the lake often?

Charlie- Not really. My moms don't trust boats. They call them unholy devil-machines. I fish sometimes though.

Charlotte- Um, cool.

_She clears her throat._

Charlotte- Look, we all appreciate you coming back, but… if you're, um, not ready-

Charlie- You think I should go back home?

Charlotte- No, no, no, it's not that! It's just…

_She looks to Will for help, but he turns away._

Charlotte- Look, Charlie. If you ever want to talk someone, you can go to any of us.

_She looks at Will, and he points at her._

Charlotte- And… and you can come to _me_ anytime.

_Charlie looks at her in surprise, and chuckles._

Charlie- Thanks for that, Char.

Charlotte- What did you just call me?

_Charlie gets up and runs away as Charlotte chases him. Lauren grabs Charlotte by the back of the shirt and holds her back._

Lauren- That's enough, Char.

_Charlotte relents._

Charlie- What, so _she_ gets to say it?

_Lauren hands Charlie a messily hand decorated card._

Lauren- Um, by the way, Charlie, I know you only met her that one time on Halloween, but could you sign this card for Angela? Her birthday's coming up, and we wanted to send her something nice.

_Charlie takes the card._

Charlie- Did… did you make this, Lauren?

_Lauren turns red and snatches it back._

Lauren- Fine! If you're gonna insult it, then I'll just-

Charlie- No, no, I'll sign it. It's… it's really pretty.

_He takes a pen and starts to write just as the boat slows down._

Hannah- We're here, everyone! Time for some good old sports!

_Charlie's eyes widen and he accidentally loses control of the pen, leaving a blotch of ink._

Charlie- Oh, right… the sports…

_Nobody hears him as they walk off the yacht._

Lauren- All right! You all are going down!

_We cut to them all standing in a basketball court, now dressed in athletic attire._

Will- Alright, there's seven of us, so one will have to sit out.

AJ- I can go first.

_He goes off to the side, and Will nods._

Charlotte- Perfect. That makes two teams of three.

_Cut to James, Will, and Charlie. James and Will look very nervous._

James- Why did we agree to boys vs. girls?

_Cut to Lauren and Charlotte grinning evilly while Hannah stands by them._

Lauren- Mwahahahaha!

Charlotte- Let's get started, shall we?

Will- We're counting on you, Charlie.

_Charlie looks nervous, but he nods._

Charlie- I won't let you down.

_As Lauren and Charlie line up for the tip-off, AJ pulls out some pom-poms and starts cheering._

AJ- Leeeeeeet's go! Come on, come on!

_Lauren wins the tip and quickly passes it to Charlotte._

Charlie- Get back on our side, everyone!

Will- Right… which one's that?

_Charlotte passes to Hannah, and Charlotte runs past Charlie._

Charlie- James, cover Charlotte!

James- Right!

_He points at Charlotte._

James- Guards, cover her!

_He looks around._

James- Um, guards?

_Charlie groans and tries to run after Charlotte, but she quickly receives it and passes it up to Lauren, who dunks it into the net._

AJ- Gooooo, Lauren!

James- Hm… I'm guessing that _wasn't_ our point?

_Charlie nods, and James pulls out a notebook and writes it down._

James- Fascinating.

Lauren- Is that all the fight you guys have got? Come on!

_Charlie pulls in James and Will._

Charlie- Okay, y'all, they're probably gonna try and cover me. If you can run past all of them, I might be able to get a long pass to you. Then you score. Got it?

_James and Will nod._

Will- Seems easy enough.

_Charlie dribbles the ball down the court. Charlotte and Lauren ignore James and Will and double-team Charlie._

Charlotte- I think we'll go for a shutout today. Sound good, Lauren?

Charlie- Pff. Take a decent lead first, then we'll talk.

_He passes the ball down the court, past Hannah._

Charlie- Yes! Now score!

_He looks down the court only to see Will holding James on his shoulders as he puts the ball in the net._

Will- You almost got it, James!

_Charlie facepalms._

Hannah- Um, that's against the rules, guys!

_A whistle blows, and they turn to see AJ wearing a baseball caps._

AJ- Timeout! They need a pep talk from their coach!

_Lauren and Charlotte shrug and walk off._

James- Uh, did we do something wrong? Ball goes in net, right?

_They walk over to AJ._

AJ- What are you doing out there?! You look like a bunch of clowns!

James- Um… you can't talk that way to your leader.

AJ- You maggots just need to pass the ball to Charlie and let him score!

_He pokes James and Will's chests._

AJ- Understood!?

James and Will- Yes, sir!

_AJ quickly takes off his baseball cap and picks up his pom-poms._

AJ- Great job! Let's go, guys!

_Cut to the game later. Charlotte is running up to shoot, and Charlie knocks the ball down and quickly grabs it._

Charlotte- Ugh!

Charlie- Let's go, guys!

_James and Will run down the court, and Charlie passes it to James. The girls scramble to defend as James passes it to Will, who passes it to Charlie. Charlie runs towards the basket, but Lauren leaps in front of him, standing in the way._

Lauren- Not so fast, Notch!  


_He looks towards James and Will, but they're both covered. He tries to move, but Lauren bumps against him roughly. Charlie's eyes widen, and he backs up. Lauren doesn't give up, and keeps bumping against him._

Charlie- Lauren… move!

Lauren- Winning won't be that easy, Notch.

_Charlie's hands go limp and he drops the ball._

Lauren- What?

_She looks up at Charlie, confused, before picking up the ball and going to score. We see various shots of the boys being destroyed before cutting to the end of the game. The score is 52-0 in the girls' favor._

Charlotte- I guess a shutout wasn't such a pipe dream after all.

_Lauren nods, but she looks at Charlie as he walks over. AJ is quickly switching between coach and cheerleader._

AJ- Don't worry, you did your best!

_Switch._

AJ- You miserable failures! After everything I did for you!

_Switch._

AJ- You'll get them next time!

_Switch._

AJ- You should just lay down and-

Lauren- AJ… that's enough.

_He promptly shuts up._

James- Well, I think I get how to play sports now.

Will- I'm sure we can nail it next time!

Hannah- Yeah… I think we should maybe switch up our teams.

_We cut to them standing on a volleyball court. The teams this time are Will, Charlie, and AJ and Lauren, Hannah, and James._

Charlotte- Ugh, I'll sit out this time. Have fun.

_She walks over to a chair and pulls out a book on physical and mental trauma. The teams group up._

Lauren- This'll be a piece of cake. I'm a volleyball pro.

James- What sport _do_ you play, Lauren?

_Lauren looks at him, confused._

Lauren- You're supposed to pick one?

Hannah- I'll hold my own, too. I've played a little.

_The girls turn to James._

James- Um… I'll do my best?

Lauren- If you cost us the game…

_She pounds her fist, and James gulps. We see the other team._

AJ- Alright, who wants to be up front?

_He looks pointedly at Charlie, but Charlie is looking at his feet._

AJ- Um, okay. Will, you can be up front. Charlie, you take the back. I've got middle.

Will- Ugh, who elected _you_ team captain?

AJ- What's your idea, Will?

Will- Let's see… I'll be up front, Charlie can be in the back, and you go in the middle.

_Will looks proud of himself, and they line up to start the game. James makes an underhand serve._

AJ- I got it!

_He sets it up._

AJ- Will!

_Will is confused for a second, then gets it and jumps up, spiking it down. However, Hannah is in the back and shows her true skills, diving across the floor and sending the ball back up._

Will- What?

Lauren- Nice, Hannah! Set it to me, James.

_James sets the ball to Lauren, and she spikes it down._

AJ- Charlie!

_Charlie goes to save it in slow motion, but instead ends up raising his arms in front of his face, sending the ball uselessly onto the ground._

James- Commence rehearsed victory dance!

_James, Lauren, and Hannah dance._

James, Lauren, Hannah- Oo-oo-oo-oo, we did it, we did it!

_Charlotte gives a thumbs up from her seat. AJ gathers Will and Charlie._

AJ- We have to beat them! Hm… I might have something.

Charlie- What is it?

_AJ eyes him._

AJ- Um… just trust me.

Will- I don't know why _you've_ suddenly become the foremost expert on sports here, but alright.

_They nod and get back into position. James serves again, and AJ quickly moves under it._

AJ- Charlie!

_Charlie is surprised._

Charlie- What?!

AJ- Go!

_He sets it, and with no choice, Charlie moves to jump for the ball. As he is about to hit it, though, his hand softens, hitting the ball lightly over. Hannah is easily able to save it and sends it to Lauren, who spikes it right through Will's block._

Lauren- Yeah!

AJ- Um… time out!

_The teams gather, and AJ turns to Charlotte._

AJ- Any advice, Charlotte?

_She briefly looks up from her book._

Charlotte- Well, you appear to be losing. Maybe stop that.

_She looks back at her book._

Will- _Ahem._

_Charlotte rolls her eyes and puts the book down. She walks up to Charlie._

Charlotte- Why are you scared of the ball?

Charlie- Excuse me?

AJ- Ah, so you _have_ been watching the game!

Charlotte- What's holding you back, Charlie?

Charlie- I…

_His eyes shift._

Charlie- I don't want to get hurt.

Will- Charlie, the ball can't really hurt you.

Charlie- I know, but-

Charlotte- Here's what you're going to do. You're going to think about how hard the ball can hit you… and you're going to hit it ten times harder. It can't hurt you if you beat it into submission.

_Charlie is puzzled, but his eyes narrow._

Charlie- You got it.

Charlotte- Okay, okay, now go.

_They walk back onto the court._

Charlie- AJ… can you handle the back?

_AJ smiles._

AJ- You know it.

_They rearrange positions, as does the other team. Now Lauren's up to serve._

Lauren- You ready for this, AJ?!

_AJ steels himself, and Lauren serves it hard. AJ dives to the side, barely hitting it. We see that Charlotte has put down her book and is watching intently._

Charlotte- Yes! Set it, Will!

_Will sets it up, and Charlie glares at the ball. Growling, he jumps up, yelling as he spikes the ball down hard. Hannah can't save it, and it bounces up almost to the ceiling._

James- Whoa…

_Charlie says nothing._

Will- Nice one, Charlie! Any good words to say about your lovely teammates, perhaps some that I could quote to the press?

_Charlie storms to the back._

Charlie- I'll serve.

_AJ glances at him as he hands over the ball._

AJ- Um… okay…

Lauren- James, try to receive it.

_Charlie prepares to serve, and Will grins deviously._

Will- Hey, James… you look so dashing in that athletic gear.

James- What? I-

_The ball crashes to the floor by him, and Will laughs._

AJ- Nice distraction, Will.

_Will looks at James._

Will- Just because it was a distraction doesn't mean it's not true.

_AJ looks at Charlie, who is panting at his hard serve._

AJ- I think this game's about to turn around.

_We see various shots of Charlie spiking the ball and getting service aces, and then we cut to the end of the game. Everyone but Charlie and Lauren are panting on the ground._

Lauren- Okay… I'm on Notch's team next time.

_We cut to them outside, getting ready to play soccer._

James- I really need to update my schedule… I'm sitting out!

_He pulls out his phone and walks away, and Will pouts._

Will- Don't you wanna watch me play, James?

James- Nope!

_They separate into teams: Lauren, Charlie, and Hannah, and Will, Charlotte, and AJ._

Lauren- You ready to win, Notch?

_Charlie glares ahead and nods. Hannah and AJ take their places as goalies._

Will- So, Charlotte… do we have a plan?

Charlotte- Well, all we can do is try to beat them out in speed. Move fast, and they won't have a chance to catch you.

_Will nods, and they get into position. Charlotte kicks off, passing it back to Will, who starts dribbling down the field. He looks towards James for praise, but he's still looking down at his phone._

Will- Hey, J-

_The air is knocked out of him as Charlie rushes at him, taking the ball._

Lauren- Nice one! Pass it here!

_Charlie kicks the ball way too hard, and Lauren struggles to receive it._

Lauren- Watch it, Notch!

_She dribbles past Charlotte and shoots to score. We see a couple more shots of the game, including AJ and Hannah making saves, Charlie pushing past Charlotte, and Will scoring. Then we cut to later, as Lauren and Charlie get ready to kick off._

Lauren- How are we down? You haven't scored once, Notch! Start aiming for the goal.

_Charlie narrows his eyes._

Charlie- I'll do it.

_Lauren snorts._

Lauren- You better.

_Charlie kicks it off, and Lauren dribbles it for a while, but then passes it back to him._

Charlotte- Will, a little help here?

_Will is staring at James, but looks over and groans._

Will- Fine!

_He runs over to help Charlotte defend Charlie, but he pushes past both of them. He growls as he prepares to shoot, looking at an open corner of the goal. However, his eyes flit up to AJ's face and he lets the ball loose, sending it flying into AJ with a thud. AJ falls to the ground, and Charlie's eyes widen._

Hannah- AJ!

_They all run over to him._

Charlie- I'm so sorry, AJ! I didn't mean to-

AJ- Did I… did I save it?

Lauren- Get up, would you? It's just a flesh wound. I've lost more blood eating nachos.

James- How do you lose blood eating-

Lauren- Shut up!

Charlotte- Yeah… shall we get on with the game?

Charlie- No! I…I can't play anymore.

_AJ gets up._

AJ- Hey, man, it wasn't your fault I got hit. That's the game.

Charlie- No, it-it's not that I can't. I don't want to. I _didn't_ want to.

_A pause._

Will- Well… why didn't you say something.

Hannah- Shush, Will.

_She walks over to Charlie._

Hannah- If you weren't ready, we would've understood.

Charlie- You guys had already planned this whole thing out and-

_Charlotte silences him with a finger, glaring at him._

Charlie- Um…

Charlotte- What do you want to do, Charlie?

Charlie- Uh…

_He looks around, but everyone is looking at him._

Charlie- I just…

_A pause._

Charlie- Something non-physical. Something fun.

_More pause._

AJ- I can think of something.

_AJ smiles, and Charlie reluctantly returns it. We end on a shot of the gang all together in a bowling alley, sitting down and laughing as Charlie bowls. He gets a strike, and Lauren pats his back. He flinches at first, but relaxes. He turns and smiles, sitting down and talking with the others. They're not talking about plans or politics; they're just being friends._

_End episode._


	51. Rule the School S3E2

**Episode Two: Intern-al Struggles**

Synopsis: AJ defends James and Will from the paparazzi while the others receive some unlikely help on their missions.

_We open on Charlie at Forrester, still wearing his black hoodie as he watches AJ and Lauren spar. AJ rushes to dodge Lauren's powerful axe swings._

Lauren- Come on, AJ! No running away!

AJ- But it's kind of what I'm best at!

_Reluctantly, he turns around and faces Lauren, sword in hand. Lauren laughs as she runs towards him. Terrified, AJ blocks some of her strikes before being knocked back._

Lauren- Is that all you got? C'mon, lay it on me. I can take anything _you_ can dish out.

_Narrowing his eyes, AJ rushes forwards, striking repeatedly and actually managing to knock Lauren back a few inches._

Lauren- Not bad, pipsqueak.

_She throws her axe at him, sending him flying. He groans and gets up, running over to Lauren. She ruffles his hair a little bit in pride._

Lauren- That's two and a half more seconds than you survived last time.

AJ- So what you're saying is that in a week I'll be able to beat you?

_Lauren scoffs._

Lauren- Oh, please.

_They turn to Charlie._

Lauren- You sure you don't want to join us, Notch? No pressure.

Charlie- Nah, I'm good. You looked nice out there, though, AJ.

AJ- Aw, you think so? Maybe you could give me some pointers sometime.

_Charlie chuckles._

Charlie- Maybe.

Will- Attention, attention!

_They turn to see James and Will, flanked by two figures whose faces are obscured by stacks of paper._

James- Meeting in five minutes! We have business to discuss!

AJ- You got it!  


Lauren- Who's that behind you?

James- Oh, them? They're our new interns.

Will- Yeah, we needed some help around here, so we called in a few favors.

James- Anyway, don't be late!

_They rush away, the interns following them._

Lauren- One more round, AJ?

AJ- Oh, you're _on_.

_They turn back to spar, and we cut to them arriving in the board room, where James and Will are waiting._

Will- So… how did he do today?

Lauren- Better… still couldn't lay a finger on me, though.

Charlotte- To be expected.

_They turn to see Charlotte entering, flanked by guards._

Charlie- Charlotte, you're here?

AJ- This must be serious. You've been tied up at Woodsworth in days. You even backed out our weekly anime session.

_Charlotte looms over him, her eyes bloodshot._

Charlotte- I have had so much _paperwork_ to do, AJ. My veins are ninety percent filled with coffee at the moment. Do _not_ speak to me unless spoken to.

_AJ hides behind Charlie. Hannah pops in._

Hannah- Hey, everyone! I brought in a list of requests from the-

_Charlotte sharply turns her head and we get another dramatic zoom on her wide, bloodshot eyes._

Charlotte- _What?_

Hannah- Uh…

_James takes the list from Hannah._

James- Maybe later, Hannah. We've got bigger problems.

_They all sit down around the table, and Will turns on a presentation._

James- Excuse me… what is _that_?

Will- Okay, everyone! I took the liberty of labelling our points of interest with cute pictures of James!

Hannah- Aw!  


_Mortified, James rushes in front of the screen before he is carried away by Lauren. Will points to Maple Valley, where there is a picture of James blushing under a hoodie._

Will- We've been receiving reports from Maple Valley. Ever since the war ended, Karasu and their Nightfeathers have been nowhere to be found. You haven't seen them outside of school, right, Charlie?

_Charlie looks down and mumbles._

Charlie- I haven't, uh, really been hanging out with the other tribe leaders lately.

Will- Um… alright then! Anyway, they've resurfaced recently and they've been attacking our diplomatic outposts in the valley.

Lauren- As much as I would love to kick them to the curb, can't Maple Valley handle itself?

Will- Of course, but you're forgetting the most important thing…

_He pulls down another poster covered in pictures of James with various filters._

Will- Publicity! If we save the valley from these guerilla attacks, we'll further solidify relationships between us. Amaru and Lupa have already agreed to it.

_He puts the other poster away and moves his pointer to Woodsworth, where there is a picture of James laughing._

Will- Now, over at Woodsworth, we've received troubling news from Charlotte. Lauren, perhaps you'll recall your and Angela's old friend… Phillip.

_Lauren raises an eyebrow._

Lauren- What about him?

Will- Well, we _tried_ to be nice and let him out of the Whisperer's dungeon-

James- Who _knows_ how many of the Geneva Suggestions were broken down there.

Will- But it appears he wants his old power back.

Charlotte- He's rallied some of his old friends from the Caring Student Initiative, and they've taken several classrooms for their own.

AJ- And you let it happen? Heh, maybe _I_ should be in charge over at Woodsworth.

_Charlotte shoots AJ a dirty look._

Will- _Anyway_ , we're sending out strike teams to resolve these conflicts. Charlotte, Hannah, you take Woodsworth. Lauren and Charlie, head to the valley.

Charlie- Me? I… I can't!

James- You know the area better than any of us… we need you.

_Charlie hesitates, but nods._

Will- Besides, you'll have some help from our new interns. Get in here, you two!

_The interns walk in, and everyone gasps as the camera pans up to reveal Becky and Christopher._

Becky- Miss me?

Lauren- You hired _them_?

Charlotte- Ugh, every time I set the bar lower, you two manage to slip right under.

James- Oh, relax. Becky and Christopher are working for us under threat of social murder. They're going with you, and that's that.

AJ- Um, what about me? I didn't get an assignment.

James- We don't have anything for you to-

Will- _Actually_ , AJ, you have the most important job of all. Today is date night-

James- _What?_

Will- And we need you to make sure we have our privacy from the press.

AJ- Really? That's it.

_Will walks up to AJ, deadly serious._

Will- AJ, this job is the most important one of all. I'm counting on you not to let us down, understand?

_AJ salutes._

AJ- I can do it, sir! Give me a chance!  


_Will pretends to consider._

Will- Alright, then. Do not disappoint.

AJ- You got it! Hey, Charlotte-

_Charlotte pins AJ to the desk and we see her pouring coffee into his face as James pulls Will aside._

James- Um, Will, I don't remember planning a date today.

Will- Um… surprise?

James- No, you just knew I would say no!

Will- James… do you not want to go out today?

James- No! I mean, yes, I do, but-

Will- Super! It's decided, then! Don't worry, I'll set everything up. See you later!

_He gives James a quick peck before running out the door._

James- Will, wait!

_He sighs and turns to everyone else._

James- Okay, everyone, get to your assignments.

_The others disperse out of the room, and James looks at Will's posters. He gives a small smile before leaving. We cut to Christopher with his legs crossed. Lauren and Charlie come up behind him._

Lauren- Pf. What're you doing?

_Christopher takes out his earbuds and speaks. His voice is clearly strained._

Christopher- I've been working on reining in all of my unhealthy urges. Several sessions of meditation per day, some introspection, and a little green tea work wonders.

_Lauren and Charlie eye each other dubiously._

Lauren- Sounds lame. Get up, we gotta go.

_Christopher grits his teeth and stands up._

Christopher- _Very well_. Let's hurry, our shift is almost over. Then I can get back to the shop.

_He sips on some tea as they walk off, and we see Becky, Hannah, and Charlotte walking by as Becky gestures wildly._

Becky- So I was just minding my own business as a _respectable_ businesswoman, and then James and Will just _barge_ into our store and _blackmail_ us into working for them!

Hannah- That _does_ sound bad. If you want, I can ask them to shorten your employment or give you a salary or-

Becky- As if I'd accept help from _you_. You were Sterling's pet, and now you're James and Will's. I'd respect your shrewdness if it weren't so pathetic.

_Charlotte pulls Hannah away._

Charlotte- Ugh, don't talk to her. She's an incompetent, treacherous snake. Just ignore her until this mission's over.

Hannah- She's just angry, that's all.

Charlotte- Um, no. She's _always_ been like this.

Hannah- I don't know… have you ever considered that the years of pretending to be someone and bowing to the whims of others negatively impacted her psychosocial development and made her develop some kind of imposter syndrome?

_Charlotte rolls her eyes._

Charlotte- Don't psychoanalyze her, Hannah. She was the one-dimensional villain of the first couple episodes, and that's that.

_Charlotte turns to Becky._

Charlotte- Hey, you, just so you know what we're dealing with-

Becky- Oh, I _know_ what we're dealing with. CSI, Phillip, blah blah blah. I do still stay informed, honey, even if I'm not plotting.

Charlotte- Oh, you're _always_ plotting.

Becky- You say that like it's a bad thing. I'd rather be an unsuccessful schemer than some _sidekick._

Charlotte- You little-

_Hannah pulls her aside._

Hannah- I thought you said to ignore her?

Charlotte- I know, but it's just so _hard_.

_A paintball flies past Charlotte's face and sinks into a tree, burning a hole through it. Charlotte whirls around to see Becky pouring various poisons into her pistol._

Charlotte- Watch it!  


Becky- Oh, _sorry_. My bad. Losing you would be _such_ a setback for James and Will. They might have to buy an expensive potted plant to replace you.

_Charlotte grits her teeth and walks ahead. Hannah's eyes dart between the two girls. We cut to a map of the area showing the two groups making their way to Woodsworth and Maple Valley respectively. Then we cut to Maple Valley, where the group is making their way up the hill to the school. Christopher is riding a hoverboard as he does yoga._

Lauren- Ugh, could you not?

Christopher- Just because I'm on a mission doesn't mean I'm going to neglect my spiritual health, Lauren. You should try it sometime.

_Lauren pushes Christopher off the hoverboard and tosses it away. He stands up, growling but calming himself._

Christopher- Namaste, sister. I think you need some serious spiritual introspection.

Lauren- I think you need some-

Charlie- Guys, we're here.

_Lauren falls silent as they enter the courtyard of Maple Valley, much more quiet than when we last saw it._

Charlie- Looks like this place really cleaned up since the war.

Christopher- Ah, this place just exudes positive energy. We should-

Amaru and Lupa- CHARLIE!!!

_The gang turns to see Amaru and Lupa running out the school, followed by some Biter and Redclaw guards. They tackle Charlie into a massive hug._

Amaru- Where have you been? You haven't called us or anything!

Lupa- You had us all so worried! You didn't answer any of our texts!

Charlie- Guys… can't breathe.

_They release him._

Charlie- Sorry I haven't been able to talk. It's just been… a lot lately.

_Amaru nods._

Amaru- It's okay, it's okay. We understand.

Lupa- Speak for yourself. When I call you, Charlie, I expect you to answer. I saw three different movies and didn't have _anyone_ to talk to about them.

Lauren- Anyway, thank you for letting us handle this, you two. We appreciate-

Lupa- Wait… what is _that_?

_They point to Charlie's pistol, which he quickly hides behind his back._

Charlie- Nothing!  


Amaru- Is that a _gun_?

_Charlie stammers, and Amaru and Lupa look at each other, worried._

Amaru- Um… never mind. It doesn't matter.

Charlie- A-anyway, we're going to go find Karasu now.

Lupa- You haven't heard from them, have you? Karasu may be attacking us, but they always had a soft spot for you. I thought maybe-

_Charlie gets a dark look in his eyes._

Charlie- Karasu _betrayed_ me.

_He turns around and walks away, followed by Christopher and Lauren. Amaru and Lupa look at each other concernedly. Then we cut to AJ standing by a door as Will drags James over._

AJ- There you are. Your date is ready and secured.

_Will winks._

Will- Thanks, AJ.

_He looks pointedly at James, who mumbles._

James- Yeah, thanks.

_They walk inside and shut the door. A student walks up to AJ._

Student- Is this where James and Will are having their date?

_AJ points his sword._

AJ- Hey, back off! They need their privacy!  


Student- You're guarding them?

AJ- That's right, so you better get out of here!

_The student walks away._

AJ- Whew.

Student (offscreen)- Hey, guys! AJ's the only person guarding them! Get over here!

_AJ's eyes widen._

AJ- Oh, no.

_We cut to James and Will sitting at opposite ends of a candlelit table._

Will (internal monologue)- James Orwick. Back when he was my greatest enemy, I took notes. I guess now they'll finally be useful.

_James takes a small bite of food as he casts his eyes down to the table. In the background, we see AJ rushing inside and opening up a wall to reveal two massive guns. He grabs them and heads back out._

Will (internal monologue)- You've got to make him feel comfortable. Ask him about something he cares about.

Will- So… how's the bureaucracy development you were working on going?

_James looks up, his eyes lighting up. In the background, a photographer's head pops through the vent before being pulled back into it._

James- Oh, it's great! Let me tell you about it.

_As he speaks, Will eats his food and smiles. In the background, AJ and a photographer crash through the door, with AJ eventually knocking her out with a mop._

Will (internal monologue)- You just have to nod along and smile. And then when you're ready… you surprise him.

_Will squeezes James' hand under the table and he flushes. Will gives a smile and James returns it before continuing. We see AJ outside, surrounded by unconscious photographers. Then we cut to Becky, Charlotte, and Hannah arriving on the other side of the lake via yacht and walking up the stairs to Woodsworth._

Hannah- So what are your hobbies?

Becky- Poison.

Hannah- Favorite food?

Becky- Poison.

Hannah- What are your hopes and dreams?

Becky- Look, stop trying to look for depth. I'm kind of a one trick pony here.

_She looks ahead to Charlotte._

Becky- Oh, it looks like we're here! I still don't know why James and Will decided to give this place to _you_!

_Hannah walks ahead to Charlotte._

Hannah- You need another stress ball, Charlotte?

_We see that Charlotte is already squeezing three._

Charlotte- I'm _fine._

_They enter the school._

Charlotte- Okay… Phillip and his followers have taken four different classrooms. Unfortunately, that includes the file room with everyone's information.

Becky- Well, then we should obviously take that room first. Information is power.

Hannah- What, not poison?

_Becky rolls her eyes._

Becky- I used to actually care about that kind of stuff, believe it or not. Poison is just so much simpler.

_Charlotte and Hannah walk by her, Hannah turning to speak._

Hannah- I guess you never struck me as the type to settle.

_Becky is shocked, and follows them. We cut to the three girls climbing through the vents. They stop as they look down into a room crawling with CSI soldiers._

Charlotte- We're here. You ready, Hannah?

Hannah- Yep.

Becky- I'm ready too, but nobody asked.

_Another acid paintball flies past Charlotte._

Becky- Sorry, another misfire! That's the last of the acid, I swear.

Charlotte- Hannah, be sure to use her as a human shield. Now go!

_Charlotte opens up the vent, and they all jump down._

CSI Soldier- What?

_Charlotte kicks a guard's gun from his hand before shooting him. Hannah fires her rifle in a sweeping pattern, taking out a whole host of guards. Becky fires poisoned paintballs at multiple guards, causing them to double over in pain._

Becky- Hannah, duck.

_Hannah does so, and Becky takes out a guard over her._

Hannah- Nice shot, Becky!

_The slightest smile tugs at Becky's mouth as Charlotte knocks out the last guard._

Charlotte- That's all of them. Thanks, Hannah.

Becky- _Ahem._

Charlotte- Ugh… and you too, Becky.

Becky- Oh, it was _nothing._ Now let's just pop over to the other classrooms and-

_She opens the door to reveal Phillip and many CSI soldiers._

Phillip- Hey, y'all.

Hannah- It was a trap?

Charlotte- Why am I not surprised?

Phillip- I knew y'all would be after the information first. Now, let's discuss how I'm in charge now.

_Charlotte walks forwards._

Charlotte- Phillip, can you just not today? I'm already dealing with one incredibly annoying person.

Becky- Hey, don't be so mean to Hannah!

Phillip- Ms. March, I don't think you recall that I helped Angela get to power here. In return, the CSI rules this school. That arrangement has not changed.

Charlotte- Angela is gone. The CSI is nothing.

Phillip- Oh, I wouldn't call this nothing. Get them!  


_The CSI soldiers advance, and the girls start fighting. Charlotte takes out some, but she is eventually separated from Hannah and Becky._

Hannah- Charlotte!

_The two girls run through the hallway from the soldiers, but they eventually catch up. They fight for a bit, but Hannah eventually pushes Becky back._

Hannah- Go!

Becky- What?

_Hannah turns around and keeps firing, leaving Becky to run away, taking out the few guards that follow her. She is able to escape thanks to Hannah holding most of the soldiers. We cut to Charlie, Christopher, and Lauren walking through the forest by Maple Valley._

Lauren- This is where the last Nightfeather attack happened. They took out some Forrester students heading to the new embassy.

Christopher- Yes… I can feel the bad energy coming from this place. I'm guessing some sort of attack occurred here.

Lauren- That's what I just-

_She sighs._

Lauren- Charlie, you got any insight?

_She looks over to see Charlie staring up into a tree._

Lauren- Charlie?

_She walks over and looks where he's looking. A piece of paper is taped to the highest branch of the tree._

Lauren- Yeah, I hate litterers too.

Charlie- No… I think it's a note. From Karasu.

Lauren- Pf! How could they expect you to reach that?

Charlie- They probably expected that I would have my ribbon with me. Can… can you guys help me get up there?

Christopher- Of course, brother. I'll channel all my spiritual energy into this task.

_Lauren rolls her eyes._

Lauren- Maybe try channeling some actual energy too.

_Charlie steps on their hands, and they chuck him up to the top of the tree. He grabs the note and falls back down, where Christopher and Lauren catch him. Charlie opens the note._

Lauren- What does it say? Is Karasu ready to surrender, or do we have to beat them up a little?

Charlie- I… I think they want to talk.

Christopher- Ah, a fellow lover of peace.

Lauren- Where are they?

Charlie- At… at where it all began.

Lauren- What? What does that mean?

Christopher- Perhaps we have to reflect back on ourselves before we began our spiritual journey.

Charlie- No…

_He looks up._

Charlie- I know where we have to go.

_We cut back to James and Will. James is still yammering, and Will is looking at him, eyes half-lidded._

Will (internal monologue)- Okay, he's talked enough. Maybe it's time to throw him off guard.

Will- James.

_James stops talking and looks back down to his food._

James- Mm-hm?

Will- Remember our hike on Lapotric Island?

_James flushes and looks away._

James- I, uh… what part of it?

Will- The part where you trapped us both in a hole.

James- I told you, it was an accident.

Will- Don't worry, I wasn't that mad at you.

James- You weren't?

Will- Ah, so you _did_ do it on purpose!

James- No, I just… ugh.

_Will laughs._

Will- So you were falling for my charm even back then.

James- Well, you were the only one willing to talk to me like an equal. You were… different from everyone else.

_James waves his hand._

James- But I guess now making fun of your superiors is the new thing or whatever.

Will- Aw, they're just teasing.

James- I know, I know. It doesn't really get to me.

Will- James…

_James smiles._

James- Yeah?

_Will frowns, not sure what to say._

Will- I…

_A pause._

Will- Are you embarrassed of me?

_James recoils._

James- What?

Will- I mean, uh, I-

_He decides to commit to it._

Will- No, we're talking about this! Whenever I talk about you or show any affection you try to shut it down!

James- I mean, when we're talking business-

Will- I get that, but what about our _friends_. Why are you so afraid of them?

James- Because I…

_He hesitates, and Will waits impatiently._

James- I don't want another weakness.

_Will's eyes widen._

Will- What?

James- I'm afraid, Will. I'm afraid that if I let you too close, someone will use you against me or…

Will- Or?

James- Or you'll betray me.

_Will is clearly hurt, but he puts it aside._

Will- James… do you really think that?

_James is silent. Will clasps James' hands under the table._

Will- Look at me.

_James stares down._

Will- _Look at me._

_James reluctantly looks up._

Will- I'm not leaving you. Not now, not ever. We're always in this together. Do you believe that?

James- I… I do.

_Will gives a smile, and James returns it._

James- Will, I-

Will- I know.

_He taps James' nose._

Will- Don't ever forget it. Now say it out loud. You haven't ever said it.

James- Do I have to?

_Will gives a look, and James relents._

James- I, James Orwick, am Will Cross's boyfriend!

Will- Little louder for the people in the back?

James- I, JAMES ORWICK, AM WILL CROSS'S BOYFRIEND.

_Will smiles, and James finally laughs a little. We cut to Becky staring at her phone. A text is ready to send to James, reading 'Tried my best. They got captured :)." Becky looks at it for a second, then groans._

Becky- Ugh. You _bet_ I'm asking for a salary after this.

_We cut to Charlotte and Hannah tied up in chairs in a locked classroom._

Phillip- In just a short amount of time, ladies, my CSI troops will march and take over the rest of the school.

Hannah- You'll never get away with this!

Charlotte- Hannah, please stop.

Hannah- Too much? I was thinking of going with 'You're insane!'

Charlotte- How about neither?

Phillip- Quiet! Now, let's-

_Suddenly, a sizzling sound echoes through the room. Everyone looks towards the door, where acid has just created a massive hole, revealing Becky holding her pistol._

Hannah- Becky!  


Becky- Don't make such a big deal. It's whatever.

_She shoots several CSI soldiers and takes them out._

Phillip- Drop the weapon.

_Becky raises her arms as the remainder of the soldiers point their weapons at her._

Becky- Uh, Phillip, surrendering is really in your best interest.

Phillip- Yeah? Why's that?

Becky- Um, because then I won't have to tell your entire army that you embezzle funds from the CSI.

_Phillip goes pale._

Phillip- You wouldn't.

Becky- Okay, why would you say that? What about me gives you the impression that I would not do that.

Charlotte- Yeah, seriously. If you're gonna spout a cliché, have it make sense.

_Becky puts her hands down and walks towards Phillip. Phillip gestures for the guards to put down their guns. They whisper for a bit, then all the CSI soldiers get out. Becky frees Charlotte and Hannah._

Hannah- Becky, that was amazing!

_Becky reluctantly smiles._

Becky- Yeah… I guess it _was_ pretty awesome.

Hannah- How did you find us?

Becky- Well, it took a few tries. Charlotte, you have the budget for four to five new doors, right?

_Charlotte glares at Becky._

Charlotte- Did you _really_ have to-

Hannah- _Ahem._

_Charlotte sighs._

Charlotte- Of course we have the budget. I'm great at managing economics.

Becky- Perfect. Although you won't have to worry about managing anything anymore.

_She snaps her fingers, and the entire CSI army runs in behind her, including Phillip._

Becky- Phillip _generously_ gave me control of the entire CSI militia, and now I'm relieving you of power.

Hannah- Wait, you can't-

Phillip- Silence.

_Becky raises a hand, examining Hannah._

Becky- No… let her speak.

Hannah- Becky, this is a _very_ bad idea.

Becky- Uh, my own school? Sounds pretty good to me.

Hannah- You're smarter than this, Becky.

Becky- Why, thank you.

_Hannah ignores her and continues._

Hannah- The moment James and Will hear about this, they’ll use everything they've got to depose you. You won't stand a chance.

Becky- I mean, I don't really have any better options if I want to move up the ladder.

Phillip- Why are you negotiating with an enemy, boss?

Becky- Ugh, shut up!

_She shoots Phillip and he falls to the ground._

Hannah- Come back and keep working for James and Will.

Becky- _Excuse me_.

Hannah- Move up through the system legitimately. Get their trust, and they'll give you more power.

Becky- Hannah, I'm not _anyone's_ lackey.

Hannah- Neither am I. But I still help them out because they hold all the power… and because they're my friends.

_Becky rolls her eyes._

Becky- Ugh, _fine_.

_She throws a vial of poison over her shoulder, enveloping the CSI in a cloud of gas that knocks them all out. She walks over to Charlotte and Hannah._

Becky- Uh, _you're welcome._

_Charlotte whispers furiously at Hannah._

Charlotte- We can't seriously let her walk free after that.

Hannah- She just needed a wake-up call, Charlotte. Watch.

_They turn to Becky as she begins to smile._

Becky- Wow, that felt _good_.

_More coughing and groans come from the CSI, and she laughs._

Becky- Ugh, I forgot how _satisfying_ this job is.

_She turns to Hannah and Charlotte._

Becky- Maybe I can stomach working for James and Will.

_Hannah prods Charlotte._

Charlotte- I… I have to admit, you'd be a valuable asset.

Hannah- How'd you know that stuff about Phillip, by the way?

_Becky chuckles._

Becky- Lucky guess.

_Hannah and Charlotte are surprised, but begin to laugh._

Charlotte- You risked us on _that_.

Becky- Of course! He just seemed like the type, you know.

_They walk away, past the pile of crumpled CSI soldiers._

Hannah- You know, by spending so much time around James and Will, you might pick up a thing or two.

Becky- Um, what could I learn from _them_.

_She says the next part more quietly after a pause._

Becky- I… I _suppose_ I could pick up some valuable information from this job.

Hannah- And if you're nice, maybe some people would be willing to help you out in the future.

Becky- Don't push it, Hannah.

_We cut to Charlie, Lauren, and Christopher walking through the forest._

Lauren- Charlie, are you sure you know where you're going?

Charlie- Karasu said to go where it all began…

_He clears some hanging ivy from a tree to reveal a run-down shack in the forest._

Charlie- Where we first met.

Christopher- This is it?

Lauren- What, you don't have anything to say about the _energy_ of this place?

Christopher- If you want, I could-

Lauren- No!

_Charlie examines the note._

Charlie- It says to go in alone.

Lauren- Forget that. I'm coming with you.

Charlie- I can take Karasu. Keep watch for me.

_Lauren relents, and Charlie walks into the shack. As soon as he enters, the door slams shut, and Lauren runs up to it._

Lauren- Charlie, are you okay!?

Charlie- I'm fine, I'm fine.

Christopher- Um, Lauren?

Lauren- _What?_

_She turns her head and is shocked to see several Nightfeathers approaching. Charlie hears the clashing from inside, trying to open the door only to find it is locked._

Charlie- Guys?! What's going on out there?

Karasu- Don't worry…

_Charlie whirls around to see Karasu._

Karasu- I just wanted to keep them busy.

Charlie- Karasu…

Karasu- Charlie.

Charlie- What have you been doing? What's with all these attacks?

Karasu- I… I just wanted to get your attention. I needed to get you here.

Charlie- Well, I'm here now! So what do you want?

_Karasu approaches Charlie, but he steps away from them. Karasu falls silent for a second._

Karasu- You remembered this place…

_Charlie slightly softens._

Charlie- Of course… how could I forget?

Karasu- I had been on the streets for so long… I was hiding out here for a while.

Charlie- And I thought I had found the perfect hide-and-seek spot from Amaru and Lupa.

Karasu- You saved me that day… your moms found me a family. I… I made friends.

_Charlie stares at the corner, and he slowly turns around._

Charlie- And then you _betrayed_ me.

_Karasu gets defensive._

Karasu- Well, there aren't _technically_ any rules about dealing with foreign powers.

Charlie- Karasu!

Karasu- But wait! That's why I called you here.

_Charlie pauses._

Karasu- Charlie… I'm sorry. I got so focused on winning, that I didn't even think about what he would… what he would do to you. I had no idea, I swear.

_Charlie's face is unreadable. He steps towards Karasu._

Karasu- Charlie?

_Charlie puts his hand on Karasu's soldier._

Karasu- Charlie… I-

_Before they can finish, Charlie shoves Karasu to the side, sending them into a wall._

Karasu- Ch-Charlie!

Charlie- You _betrayed_ me!

_He lunges at them, and Karasu leaps back. They finger their sword, but don't pull it out._

Karasu- Stop it, Charlie! We can move past this!

_Charlie yells and grabs them, tossing them aside. We cut to Lauren and Christopher outside. Lauren is fighting off Nightfeathers, and Christopher is sitting tea._

Lauren- A little help here?

Christopher- I don't know, I didn't really stretch this morning.

_Lauren growls with frustration and turns around, smashing Christopher's tea with her axe. His eyes widen, and he growls deeply._

Christopher- My… my _tea_!

_He yells and runs at Lauren, but she quickly gets out of the way. Not caring, he lunges at the Nightfeathers instead, throwing them against trees. When he finished, he growls animalistically, baring his teeth. He then falls to the ground, revealing Lauren behind him._

Lauren- _Finally_. I actually prefer you this way.

_She turns to the door, but the wood breaks to reveal Charlie on the other side._

Lauren- Charlie! Are you okay?

_Charlie drags a visibly sad Karasu through the door._

Charlie- I took care of them. They've agreed that they won't cause any more trouble.

_Lauren looks at Karasu, but they just look down, scared._

Lauren- What… what happened?

Charlie- The mission's finished.

_He turns to Christopher._

Charlie- Let's carry him back to Forrester. Karasu can make their own way back.

Lauren- Are you sure you don't want to visit with Amaru and Lupa for a while?

_Charlie gives Lauren a look, and she backs down. Charlie roughly pulls Karasu's arm, shoving them away. They give a fearful look before running away into the forest with the faintest sound of a sniffle. We cut back to James and Will as they wrap up their date._

Will- Well, I've put you through enough. Ready to call it a night?

James- This… this was fun.

_Will's eyes widen._

Will- What?

James- I'm not repeating it.

_James gets up and walk away, but Will runs up to him, hugging him from behind and resting his head on James' shoulder. James hums in satisfaction._

Will- James, I-

_Suddenly, a vent bursts open to reveal a photographer. James, startled, quickly shoves Will away as she snaps a photo. AJ quickly comes in and knocks out the reported._

AJ- I got it, guys! Don't worry, let me destroy this film real quick and-

_He sees what's happened, and his sentence trails off. Will looks up at James from the floor, hurt._

Will- You…you…

James- Will, I didn't-

_Will angrily gets up and rushes out, leaving James and AJ._

AJ- What… what just happened?

James- Um…

_He quickly masks the emotion behind an eye roll._

James- _Will_ is just being his usual needy self.

_James storms out as well, leaving AJ alone._

AJ- I gave up all my screen time for nothing?

_End episode._


	52. Rule the School S3E3

**Episode Three: Royal Princess Love Battle**

Synopsis: James and Will are giving each other the cold shoulder, Charlie gets a visit, and Charlotte educates Lauren.

_We open on AJ and Hannah walking into Forrester. AJ is clearly worried._

AJ- I mean, they looked _really_ mad! What if they're fighting!?

Hannah- AJ, I'm sure you're overreacting. Every couple fights sometimes. I mean, you overthrew me back in the day.

AJ- Did you just call us a-

Hannah- Look! There they are.

_She points and we see James and Will walking towards each other from opposite ends of the corridor._

Hannah- See, they're-

_She trails off as James and Will coldly brush past each other, not saying a word or even looking at each other._

Hannah- Oh.

AJ- What did I tell you!?

_We see close-ups of both James and Will's clearly angry faces as they storm through the hallways. Then we cut to Charlie and Becky taking out some students with their pistols._

Charlie- On your right, Becky!  


_Becky turns, taking out an enemy just in time._

Becky- Ugh. So much for a _tiny_ uprising.

_Charlie chuckles._

Charlie- Isn't your shift over anyway?

Becky- I took over Christopher's shift and sent him back to the shop. Figured it would help me climb the ladder faster.

_Becky takes out an enemy attacking Charlie._

Charlie- Whew, that was close. Thanks, Beck.

_She immediately shoots him in the stomach. He doubles over from the poison._

Becky- We don't do 'Beck.' Got it?

_Charlie groans._

Charlie- Yes, ma'am.

_Suddenly, some students fall unconscious at both their feet. Becky and Charlie look up to see Amaru and Lupa standing over them._

Charlie- Amaru, Lupa?

Amaru- We thought we'd pay you a visit!

_Lupa gives him a friendly punch on the shoulder before Amaru sniffs the air._

Amaru- What… what is that?

Charlie- What?

Amaru- I'm getting a hint of… dimethylheptylpyran. No, wait… it's diluted.

_Becky looks at Amaru, amazed._

Becky- You know poison?

Amaru- Did you make that?

_Becky smiles._

Becky- I _might_ have.

_Amaru falls to one knee, pulling out a flower and offering it to Becky._

Amaru- For you, my lady.

Becky- Oleander? You have taste.

_Amaru stands up and they walk away, chattering. Lupa rolls her eyes._

Lupa- So much for both of us visiting. Come on, Charlie.

_She leads Charlie aside, and we cut to AJ and Hannah waiting anxiously in a meeting room. Lauren enters._

Lauren- AJ, you look weirder than usual.

_AJ immediately explodes, jumping around the room._

AJ- James and Will hate each other! They're not talking to each other and I think they're gonna break up and-

_Lauren covers AJ's mouth as he continues to talk. She looks to Hannah._

Lauren- Is he serious, or is he just being AJ?

Hannah- I… I think he might be right.

_Lauren frowns for a second, but dismisses it with a snort._

Lauren- I'm sure they'll work it out. Those two can't stay away from each other.

_James and Will enter side by side, not seeming at odds with each other._

Lauren- See? They're fine.

Will- Alright, everyone, just a quick check-in today.

James- What are everyone's reports?

Lauren- Nothing much. I sent Charlie and Becky to stop some minor rebellion.

Hannah- I'm doing my best to garner favor for you two amongst the students.

AJ- I found this new reality TV show the other day that I've been _super_ into.

_Everyone briefly stares at AJ, then they move on._

Will- Sounds great, guys. Now, let's…

_He notices that everyone is staring at him. He looks down at the table to see that his hand has crept a little too close to James'. He looks to his side to see James staring at him, and quickly moves to the side._

James- Meeting adjourned.

_James walks away, and Hannah starts to walk up to Will._

Hannah- Will…

_She reaches out for him, but he swats her hand aside and storms out, the slightest sound of a sniffle evident. Hannah looks at AJ in alarm before walking after him. Lauren yawns and starts to walk out. AJ runs after her._

AJ- Did you see that?! This is what I'm talking about!

Lauren- I told you, they'll work it out. Their love story isn't my problem.

AJ- Argh, I'm going to have to cancel all my plans for the day to sort this out!

_Lauren snorts._

Lauren- Yeah, like _you_ have plans.

AJ- I do, actually! Me and Charlotte were gonna watch some anime together.

Lauren- Those stupid things?

_Lauren hears a muffled scream behind her and turns to see AJ collapsed on the ground and Charlotte standing indignantly._

Charlotte- _Excuse_ me?

_Lauren groans._

Lauren- Here we go.

_We cut to Will sitting in his office as Hannah knocks on the door. He reluctantly ushers her in, and she takes a seat._

Hannah- So… feelings.

Will- I don't know the meaning of the word.

_He chuckles at his own joke, but it dies as he notices Hannah's serious look._

Will- What is it, Hannah?

Hannah- AJ told me everything, Will.

_Will gets an icy look in his eyes._

Will- There's nothing to tell.

Hannah- What happened between you and James?

_Will abruptly stands up._

Will- I have a meeting.

_He starts to walk out, but Hannah grabs his arm._

Hannah- I think we need to have a serious talk about your and James' relationship.

_Will whirls around, blowing up._

Will- What relationship?! Apparently _James_ never even wanted one of those. Either that or he's too much of a _coward_ to face his feelings!

_He tugs his arm out of Hannah's grasp and rushes out. Hannah stands there, shocked. We cut to Lupa and Charlie walking through Forrester. Lupa looks over the school._

Lupa- Nice little setup they've got here.

Charlie- Eh. It's nothing compared to the Valley.

_Lupa looks at Charlie._

Lupa- Why don't you come back, then?

_Charlie sighs._

Charlie- I will, I will… I just need some time away from all that.

Lupa- Away from your friends?

_Charlie looks away._

Charlie- Forrester is quieter. Less familiar. It's easier here.

_Lupa looks like she wants to say more, but lays off. They walk for a while longer._

Charlie- Anyway, I-

Lupa- I saw Karasu.

_Charlie immediately stiffens at her words._

Charlie- How… how are they?

Lupa- They're doing everything we want… but they seem off.

_Charlie swallows hard and decides to lie._

Charlie- I…I'm sure they're just getting used to the new way of things around Maple Valley.

_Lupa narrows her eyes._

Lupa- Right.

_Charlie starts to walk a little faster, but Lupa grabs his arm and pulls him back._

Lupa- Charlie, we're all worried about you. Your Sunlions miss you.

Charlie- I miss them too, but-

Lupa- Why are you hanging around all these Forrester kids? _We're_ your family.

Charlie- I know, I know.

_A pause._

Charlie- And that's why I can't be around you guys right now.

_He pulls from Lupa's grasp and runs off._

Lupa- Charlie!

_She sighs as he disappears around a corner. We cut to Lauren being dragged by guards through Woodsworth as Charlotte walks beside her._

Lauren- Look, Char, I'm sorry I made fun of your animes. Can I go now?

Charlotte- Sorry, but no. I've put this off long enough… some serious reeducation is in order.

_They reach a room, and Charlotte gestures for the guards to throw Lauren in._

Charlotte- Leave us alone, girls.

_The guards walk off, and Lauren gets to her feet._

Lauren- Where are-

_She looks around to see a large television mounted on one wall, a bookshelf full of anime DVDs, and several cardboard cutouts of anime characters._

Charlotte- Amazing, isn't it?

_Lauren raises an eyebrow._

Lauren- I think you have a serious problem. You seriously filled up an entire room with cartoon characters?

Charlotte- _Cartoon characters_? I think you mean inspirational role models!

_She walks through the various cardboard cutouts, listing them off._

Charlotte- Sakura Furukawa, the battle witch who fights against the patriarchal wizard authority! Sara Tanji, the elite queen of the stock market who made her own fortune! These people inspired me to become the woman I am today!

_Lauren rolls her eyes._

Lauren- That's great, Char, but-

Charlotte- No buts! I am indoctrinating you into the wonderful world of anime today, and I am _not_ taking no for an answer!

_Lauren groans._

Charlotte- Hey! I went with you to the shooting range that one time!

Lauren- I wasn't aware that was something I needed to repay. Seemed like you were having fun.

Charlotte- I'm retroactively saying I hated it. Now, come on! Let's start!

_Lauren opens the door to find a small army of guards standing outside the room._

Lauren- Ugh… looks like I don't have a choice.

_She turns towards an uncharacteristically excited Charlotte._

Charlotte- This is gonna be so much fun!

_We cut to James walking through the hallway. AJ runs up to him, but James ignores him._

AJ- Um, James?

James- Anything to report, AJ?

AJ- No, but-

James- Then I don't have time. Goodbye.

AJ- Wait, wait, wait!

_James sighs and stops._

AJ- I… I think you should apologize to Will.

_James inhales sharply and his eyes widen._

James- _Excuse me_?

_AJ backtracks real fast._

AJ- I just meant-

_James turns around, advancing on AJ and prodding his finger into AJ's chest._

James- _I'm_ not the one who's done something wrong here. I'm not the one who completely forgot their responsibilities to Forrester to chase some schoolyard crush. I'm not the one who gets annoyed over every moment they're not shown attention.

AJ- But… but you wanted to be with Will! You two sang a whole song about it!

_James turns away coldly._

James- That's not the point. It couldn't continue.

AJ- James, I'm your friend…

_James swallows._

James- That's what you all think… you all think that I care.

_AJ is shocked._

AJ- You don't mean that.

_A pause._

James- Go do something useful.

_James turns around and swiftly walks away. AJ looks after him, extremely hurt._

AJ- James! Come on!

_We see James blinking furiously as he storms off. Hannah arrives behind AJ, noting his expression._

Hannah- I'm guessing your talk didn't go too well, either.

_We cut to AJ and Hannah in a room together, writing on whiteboards with James and Will's faces pinned on them._

Hannah- Okay… what can we do to get these two to talk about their feelings?

_AJ snorts._

AJ- Well, James apparently hates all of us, so you tell me.

Hannah- AJ, he didn't mean that. He's just in a little turmoil right now.

_AJ sulks._

AJ- I know, I know.

_A pause._

AJ- I guess we need to start with why they broke up to begin with. What did you hear from Will?

Hannah- Well, he thinks James doesn't want a relationship at all, which we all know isn't true.

AJ- Will hasn't known James long enough… he's just not that good with affection.

Hannah- Yeah, like when he sent his forces after you without a second thought?

_They share a small laugh._

Hannah- What about James?

AJ- I… I think James thinks Will is too needy.

Hannah- What makes you say that?

AJ- Because he said that.

Hannah- Well… I guess Will's been a little over-affectionate, but it's nothing that bad.

AJ- I know… but James is just _so_ mad about it.

Hannah- Maybe…

_She trails off._

AJ- What?

Hannah- Maybe… maybe he has such a problem with the affection because he's not used to it.

_AJ knits his eyebrows together._

Hannah- I think I understand what's going on here.

_AJ looks over as Hannah rushes over to the blackboard, suddenly wearing glasses and holding a pointer. She starts talking extremely quickly._

Hannah- You see, the issue with these two is that they began a relationship without establishing the sort of relationship they wanted. Communication and initial boundaries are _essential_ to a healthy relationship, but we've got none of that here. James and Will clearly have different paces that they wanted to take, but they were too stupid to actually talk to each other about it, and just got mad instead. Therefore, if they ever want to resume a relationship, they'll need to have an actual talk and clearly detail what they want out of a relationship.

_AJ raises his eyebrows._

AJ- Wow.

_Hannah shrugs._

Hannah- I've been doing some reading.

AJ- Okay, I like your plan, but how are we supposed to get them to have this conversation?

Hannah- Every great discussion requires a little outside pressure to get started.

_AJ nods, and they high five before heading out of the room. We cut to Charlotte and Lauren sitting on a couch, and we see a time-lapse of them watching various animes._

Charlotte- Okay, this is one of my favorites! It's about a guy-

Lauren- Boring! Next!

_Charlotte slightly frowns, but quickly masks it and we cut to them watching another._

Charlotte- You like fighting, right? I thought-

Lauren- What's the point of watching violence when you could be _doing_ it yourself. Next!

_Charlotte sighs and we cut between various shows._

Charlotte- This one-

Lauren- Too cartoony!

Charlotte- Well, _this_ one-

Lauren- That one guy kind of looks like AJ. Turn it off!  


_We flash between this interactions occurring about twenty more times very sped up. Finally, Charlotte seems exhausted, and Lauren still looks bored._

Lauren- Is that all of them?

Charlotte- I… give me a minute.

_She steps outside. Lauren's phone rings, and she picks up._

Lauren- Hannah? Aren't you and AJ on some pointless mission to get James and Will back together?

_Hannah's voice comes through over the phone._

Hannah- Yeah, I don't have a lot of time, but I just wanted to check in. Charlotte said she was super excited to show you her favorite shows.

_Lauren is a bit taken aback by that._

Lauren- Charlotte, excited?

Hannah- I know, right? I guess even Charlotte gets excited to share stuff she loves with her friends.

Lauren- Uh-huh.

_A pause._

Lauren- Yeah, yeah. It's going great.

Hannah- Awesome! Tell Charlotte I said hi!  


_Lauren hangs up and looks towards the once-full bookshelf. The DVD's are currently scattered across the floor and couch… except for one buried in the back. Lauren goes over to grab it just as Charlotte comes back._

Charlotte- Well, I guess I'll let you get back-

_Lauren suddenly blurts some words out._

Lauren- What about this one?

_Charlotte peers at the disk box Lauren is holding._

Charlotte- Royal Princess Love Battle? It's really old…

Lauren- C'mon…

_Charlotte relents and manages a smile._

Charlotte- If you want to.

_They put the disk in, and a really old-looking, horribly dubbed anime comes up._

Anime Boy- Come on, baaaaaby. I neeeeeed you.

Charlotte- See, I told y-

_Lauren bursts out laughing._

Charlotte- What?

Lauren- Oh my god, this is awful! I love it!  


Charlotte- You… you do?

_Lauren looks over to see an oddly eager Charlotte._

Lauren- Um, yeah. I do.

Charlotte- I used to _love_ this when I was a kid.

Lauren- You had the best worst taste back then.

_Charlotte chuckles, and they both get more comfortable on the couch._

Charlotte- Thanks for pretending, Lauren.

Lauren- There's nothing pretend about spending time with my friend.

_We cut to AJ and Hannah dragging James and Will respectively into separate rooms. We see it in split screen._

James- What's the emergency you told me about, AJ?

Will- What's up, Hannah?

AJ and Hannah- Well…

_They each quickly place a chair in front of the door of their respective rooms._

James and Will- Wait a second…

_They both try to run out but AJ and Hannah run in front of them._

AJ- Okay, hold on!

Hannah- All we want you guys to do is talk!  


AJ- We all know that you guys still want to be together.

James- No I don't!

Will- No he doesn't!

Hannah- Oh, please, it's James. He never says what he means.

AJ- You guys just need to establish clear parameters to your relationship.

James- AJ, I'm not doing this.

Will- Hannah, I'm not doing this.

_AJ and Hannah push James and Will into the room between them, uniting the split screen as they lock the door behind them. James and Will look at each other, shocked. We see AJ and Hannah watching them through cameras from another room._

James- AJ! Let me out of here _right now_!

_Silence for a while, then Will suddenly speaks up._

Will- Am I that bad? You have to beg not to be in a room with me?

_Will chuckles for a second, then falls silent again. Will sits at the table and taps on it for a bit. James grits his teeth for a while before whirling around._

James- Well?

Will- Well what?

James- You're mad, right? I pushed you away both figuratively and literally.

Will- Yeah…

James- And?

Will- James… all I wanted was for you to be proud of us.

_James' expression shifts a bit at that. He sighs and sits down at the table._

James- Fine, let's do this.

_He pulls out a sheet of paper and quickly writes on it, handing it over to Will._

James- Sign this contract and we can resume our relationship under its terms and conditions.

_Will reads it out loud._

Will- No touching each other, no looking at each other for more than three seconds, and the word 'boyfriend' is only allowed to be used around five or less people.

_Will looks extremely hurt by this, and rips the contract in half._

James- My contract!

Will- Are you serious, James? What is your problem? Do you _know_ what a relationship is?

James- Will, you have to understand. Standard relationship dynamics wouldn't work for us-

Will- _Why not?_

_James sputters._

James- B-because… because…

Will- _Why?_

James- Because I don't know how to deal with it!

_A pause._

Will- You what?

James- You're just being so _good_ and _nice_ and _affectionate_ to me and I don't know what to do. I felt like you wanted me to reciprocate, but that's just not who I am. And so when you walked away… I didn't follow you.

_Will sits there, shocked._

James- I… I wanted to, though.

Will- Why didn't you tell me you felt that way?

James- I… I didn't want to disappoint you.

_Will gets a bitter chuckle out of that._

Will- You can't disappoint me…

_James arches an eyebrow at that._

Will- Okay, maybe a little.

_James gives a short laugh._

Will- I never meant to put that pressure on you. I just wanted to jump right into everything right away… it was exciting.

James- So… what are we going to do?

_Will's hand twitches, and he looks up at James. James nods, and Will places his hand on top of James'._

Will- We… we'll take it slow. And we'll figure it out together.

_He gives James a smile, and James flushes._

James- I'd like that.

_We see AJ and Hannah quietly celebrating from their room. James and Will laugh and stand up._

James- AJ, Hannah, you guys are still in trouble!  


_They hear the doors unlock and walk outside to meet AJ and Hannah._

AJ- What? If it wasn't for us you guys would have never talked!

Will- That's no excuse to disobey your leaders.

_They all laugh together, but suddenly Amaru and Becky come around the corner._

Becky- Ugh! You are _so_ boring!  


_She slaps Amaru and runs off. Amaru walks up to the others sheepishly._

James- Amaru?

Amaru- I don't suppose you all have seen Charlie?

_We cut to Lupa approaching a sitting Charlie by the lake. She sits beside him, and he looks at her, but doesn't move._

Charlie- I know.

Lupa- You know what?

Charlie- That I can't run away from my friends or whatever.

Lupa- So why do you keep doing it?

Charlie- I don't know!

_He throws his hands up and falls onto his back. Lupa looks at him concernedly._

Lupa- Look, kid, we all understand that what happened to you was bad. But you have to start taking steps.

Charlie- I know, I know, but-

_Lupa shakes her head._

Lupa- You need some good old Maple Valley therapy.

_She pulls out Charlie's ribbon from her jacket._

Lupa- Karasu got this for me.

Charlie- They… they did.

_Lupa shrugs._

Lupa- They always were good at stealing stuff from us.

_Charlie snickers at that, and Lupa hands him his ribbon. They both stand up._

Charlie- I don't know about this…

Lupa- Charlie, if you're gonna be the leader of the Valley, you have to take up your weapon sometime.

_She produces her spear from seemingly nowhere and lunges at Charlie. Startles, he leaps back, lightly flicking his ribbon at her. She bats it aside._

Lupa- Come on! Are you sure you're from the Valley?

_Charlie growls at that and lassos her leg, trying to pull her legs from under her. She instead pulls him to the ground._

Lupa- Is that all you've got? Get up! Get up!

_Yelling, Charlie leaps up and jumps on her, knocking them both to the ground. Both their weapons clatter to the side, and they struggle in the sand for a bit. Charlie looks extremely angry, but he suddenly snaps out of it, pushing himself away from Lupa._

Charlie- No! I can't!

Lupa- That's… that's fine.

_Charlie looks at her, surprised._

Charlie- What?

_Lupa gets up and dusts herself off, helping Charlie up as well._

Lupa- You took the step. That's what's important.

_She picks up Charlie's ribbon and offers it to him. He takes it back, looking a little confused._

Charlie- I…I…

_Lupa slaps him on the back and starts walking away._

Lupa- Okay, see ya, kid! Come stop by anytime!

Charlie- Lupa, wait!  


Lupa- Peace! Or war, I guess.

_She exits, and Charlie looks down at the ribbon in his hand. He pockets it, and manages a smile._

_End episode._


	53. Rule the School S3E4

**Episode Four: The Deputy Disappearance**

Synopsis: Lauren's deputies start going missing, and an inspector arrives at Forrester.

_We open on Mr. Garcia going about his day as ominous horror music plays. He wakes up in the morning, dusts of his large cabinet of guns (real, not paintball), eats breakfast, drives his son Julio to school in Maple Valley, and parks outside Forrester. He gets out of his car, whistling, and the camera dramatically zooms in as the music becomes overwhelmingly loud. We cut to Will and AJ walking down the hallway._

Will- And it just goes to show… never ask a mafioso why he can't grow a real beard!

_Will chuckles at his own story, but AJ looks slightly nervous at whatever he's heard. Will peers at him and quickly changes the subject._

Will- A-anyways, how are things going with Hannah?

_AJ gets flustered._

AJ- What? We don't… there's not…

_He leans in for a conspiratorial whisper._

AJ- Yesterday she hugged me for four whole seconds!

_Will squeals._

Will- Ohmigod! That is _so_ cute.

_AJ manages a smile._

AJ- I know, right?

_Will places a hand across his heart dramatically._

Will- Yesterday, James introduced me to his cousin. He said 'this is my boyfriend Will.' He said boyfriend _first_.

_Both Will and AJ jump up and down, clapping excitedly._

Will- If this was a musical episode, I would _literally_ break into song right now.

_Will and AJ continue walking down the hallway until they hear a yell from down the hallway. They turn to see James running frantically towards them. Becky follows close behind, papers spilling from her hands._

James- Will!

_James and Becky stop in front of James and AJ, gasping for breath. An extremely fast-paced conversation ensues._

Will- I missed you too, James!  


James- No, not that!

Will- You mean you didn't miss me?!

_Will lets out a sob and buries his face in AJ's shoulder._

AJ- Be good to him, James!  


Becky- God, you people are so stupid.

James- No, I _did_ miss you, Will-

Will- You did?

Will and AJ- Aw!

James- But that's not the point!  


Will- That's always the point!

_Will starts to talk some more, but Becky clamps her hands on his and AJ's mouths._

James- Will, the inspector's coming!

_Will gasps, pulling Becky's hand from his mouth._

Will- The inspector?! That's today?

AJ- Say what?

_Becky rolls her eyes as James snaps his fingers at her, and she starts handing him various papers that he tosses in Will's face._

James- She'll be examining every inch of this school for anything out of the ordinary. Out of the ordinary meaning…

_He gestures to the school around them, including the soldiers marching through the halls and the posters of James and Will hanging everywhere._

James- _All_ of this! She's going to be expecting a normal school where… people listen to their _teachers._

_Becky, Will, and AJ all shudder._

James- If she gives us a bad report, we could get further investigated and all our power could go down the drain!

_James finally stops and breathes. Will places a hand on his shoulder._

Will- We can handle this, James. We just have to get everything cleaned up.

_James nods, snapping his fingers again. Becky groans as she leans down and grabs all the papers on the floor._

James- You're right, you're right. No student politics, everyone in their classes, no soldiers or violence.

AJ- I'll get everyone started on the cleanup!  


_Lauren strolls in, oblivious to the situation._

Lauren- Hey, guys! I invited the Maple Valley kids over for some training!

_James, Will, AJ, and Becky whip their heads around to stare at her, aghast. Suddenly, Hannah runs in._

Hannah- Lauren, I think your deputies are missing! They haven't reported to their posts and nobody's seen them!

_Lauren pulls out her phone and gasps._

Lauren- Nobody's sent a meme on the group chat for an hour! Something's definitely wrong!

_AJ immediately pulls out a magnifying glass and does a British accent._

AJ- Detective AJ is on the case!

_James claps his hands together, his voice getting a little pitchy from stress._

James- Hold on, hold on, hold _on_! What did you say about Maple Valley kids coming here!  


_Lauren is already leaving, dragging AJ along with her._

Lauren- Sorry, gotta go find my deputies! Have fun with whatever you're doing!  


_James lets out a strangled noise of resignation, looking around at the very not-normal school around him. We cut to the Maple Valley kids walking up to Forrester, with the Nightfeathers notably missing. Charlie is with them now, walking by Amaru and Lupa._

Charlie- Ready to show Forrester some moves from the Valley?

_Lupa snorts._

Lupa- I don't even know why we're trying. There's no way they can pick up the type of skills _we_ have.

Amaru- Lupa, be nice. I'm sure they'll pick up _something_. That girl Lauren is from Forrester after all.

Lupa- She's different. She's gotta have Valley blood in her.

_They arrive up in Forrester and see James, Will, Hannah, and Becky frantically running around the courtyard and in and out of the school, pushing children into classrooms and ripping posters off the walls. Charlie yells at James who is scrubbing some paint off of a tree._

Charlie- James! What's going on here?

_James inhales sharply as he slowly turns to see the whole Maple Valley entourage standing in front of him. Will quickly runs up to him, grabbing his shoulders._

Will- There, there, James, you don't need to-

_James cracks starts yelling at Charlie and the Maple Valley kids._

James- Get out!

Charlie- What?

Lupa- _Excuse_ me! You can't-

James- Getoutgetotugetoutgetout! Get out!

_He grabs a mop and starts advancing threateningly towards Charlie. Charlie raises his hands._

Charlie- We're going, we're going!  


Will- Sorry about him. We have an inspection today!

_James slams the gate shut, leaving the Maple Valley kids outside Forrester._

Amaru- Not exactly a welcome party.

_Lupa rolls her eyes._

Lupa- Well, I'm not walking all the way back to the Valley right now. We just got here!  


_Charlie eyes the forest behind them._

Charlie- I might have an idea.

_Cut to the tribes in forest. Charlie pulls out three colored bandanas from his pocket._

Charlie- Capture the flag!

_Amaru looks dubious._

Amaru- Charlie… don't you remember the last time we played capture the flag?

_Everyone has a collective flashback that we don't see, but their eyes go wide and screams echo in the background. Then they all snap out of it._

Lupa- I thought last time was fun. I'm in. You gonna wimp out, Amaru?

_Amaru smirks._

Amaru- I don't think so, Lulu. We'll try to go easy on you, though.

_They hear a clap from behind them, and turn to see Xander leading a group of Nightfeathers. Xander signs at them._

Xander- You'll have to get one more flag, then?

_Charlie knits his eyebrows together._

Charlie- Xander? You're with the Nightfeathers?

_Xander looks a bit angry as he turns to face Charlie._

Xander- I used to be one, remember? And Karasu's… a little distraught at the moment.

_He glares at Charlie, and Charlie looks down at his feet. Amaru quickly intervenes._

Amaru- We'd be happy for you all to join the game! We just have to make sure that we don't draw attention from whatever inspection is going on at Forrester!

Xander- Well, you don't have to worry about _us_. We're very quiet.

_He looks pointedly at Lupa._

Lupa- Yeah, yeah, we'll keep it down.

_The tribes disperse in different direction to hide their flags. We cut to Hannah, AJ, and Lauren walking through Woodsworth. They step into Charlotte's office, where she is currently talking to some students._

Charlotte- Does he have any little siblings we could use to threaten him?

Student- No, sorry.

Charlotte- Ugh, how disappointing.

Hannah- _Ahem_.

_Charlotte turns to see them, waving away the other students around her exasperatedly._

Charlotte- Come for a 'girl talk' or whatever, or do I finally get some help around here?

AJ- Um, I'm not a girl.

_Charlotte squints._

Charlotte- Oh, right, you're here.

Hannah- _Actually_ , we were hoping to get your help.

_Charlotte rolls her eyes._

Charlotte- Of course you were. And here I was thinking that being the leader of Woodsworth would relieve me from menial labor.

Lauren- What, so you can't track the deputies' phones for us?

_Charlotte is already typing on her computer and drinking coffee._

Charlotte- Of course I can!

_She snatches Lauren's phone from her hands and plugs it into the computer, typing rapidly. She frowns._

Charlotte- Their phones stopped transmitting about an hour ago, right here in the Woodsworth Science Wing.

_She snaps her fingers, and an exhausted looking boy quickly enters._

Kyle- Yes, Charlotte?

Charlotte- Kyle, what did you see on the cameras at 9:05 this morning?

_Kyle stammers nervously._

Kyle- I…I wasn't checking them then.

_Charlotte's eyes narrow as she threateningly stands up._

Charlotte- Excuse me?

Kyle- I mean, you also have me make your coffee and edit your fanfiction and record your shows and-

Charlotte- Guards! To the dungeon with him!

_Kyle is dragged away by guards that come from seemingly nowhere. Charlotte leads AJ, Lauren, and Hannah into a room with various screens showing camera feeds._

Charlotte- I have to do _everything_ myself here.

_She presses some buttons and types a bit, and frowns as she sees several black screens._

Charlotte- And of _course_ the cameras in the science wing are disabled.

_Hannah reads the room._

Hannah- Well, you've been _very_ helpful, and we wouldn't want to bother you any more than we already have, so maybe we'll just-

Charlotte- Um, I don't think so. There's no way I'm trusting you three to investigate on your own. No offense, Lauren.

Lauren- None taken.

Charlotte- Full offense to you, Hannah and AJ. Let's go.

AJ- Hey!

_Hannah forces a smile as they turn and walk out._

Hannah- This is going to be _so much fun._

_We cut back to Forrester. James and Will are waiting at the gates. Becky walks up to them._

Becky- Everyone's in their place, and the teachers have figured out what they're supposed to be teaching. _You're welcome_.

_James looks down at Becky's waist._

Becky- Um, my eyes are up _here_.

James- What are _those_?

_He points to various vials that Becky has on a bandolier around her waist._

Becky- Um, my poisons. Duh.

_James chuckles a bit nervously and a bit terrifyingly._

James- And you just thought that you could wear those in plain view of the inspector when we're trying to look like a _normal school_?

Becky- Um… yes?

James- WELL, YOU CAN'T!

_Becky rolls her eyes and tosses the vials over her shoulder, reducing a nearby tree to a withering shrub. James makes a strangled cat noise, but turns around, straightening his collar._

James- How do I look?

Becky- Well, neither of us are going to give you an honest answer on that. I hate your guts, and Will-

Will- You look _great_ , James. And I'm not just saying that, I promise. If you want me to be more specific, I'm already formulating an essay on the topic.

_James sighs._

James- Thank you, Will.

_A black car pulls up in front of Forrester. James starts hyperventilating._

James- Does anyone have an inhaler?

Will- You don't have asthma, James.

James- I can _dream_.

_The door of the car opens and Inspector Faye steps out. She is youthful, but mature and stern looking. She whips out a clipboard and walks up to the kids, speaking in a French accent._

Will- Inspector Faye.

Faye- Children.

James- A-actually, it's James, Will, and-

Faye- _Children._

_James backs down and meekly raises a hand._

James- That's me. I'm child.

_Faye looks around the school._

Faye- Interesting. It will be you students giving me the tour, correct?

Becky- _Wow_ , you're observant.

_James clamps a hand over Becky's mouth._

James- That's right, Inspector. Our faculty is just _so busy_ educating and administrating and doing all that stuff that they do.

_Faye arches an eyebrow._

Faye- Very well. Let's begin, shall we?

_She brandishes her clipboard menacingly._

Faye- All of my findings will be reported straight to Director Corrigan.

_Will leans over and whispers to James._

Will- Who's that?

James- No idea, but they sound important.

Faye- Ahem.

James- Yes, yes, let's start the tour. I thought we'd begin by heading to our health classroom. They're in the middle of their drugs unit.

Becky- Which I've learned is apparently _not_ where you learn how to make drugs.

_Faye narrows her eyes._

Faye- Interesting… because it says here on my clipboard that they're _supposed_ to be starting their yoga unit.

_James' eyes widen and he opens his mouth, but nothing comes out. Faye smirks a bit and waves her hand in front of his face._

Faye- Child?

_James snaps out of it, laughing nervously._

James- Of course, of course! I-I was just joking, Inspector Faye! Please, just start walking inside. I need to have a quick chat with my good friends here.

_Faye starts to walk inside, and James pulls Will and Becky close._

James- You have to fix this!

Will- Don't worry, we can handle this.

Becky- Speak for yourself. We're screwed.

James- Becky, if you can help us with this inspection, I'll give you a personal entourage.

_Becky's eyes widen and she immediately starts to run inside, dragging Will with her._

Will- Buy us some time!

_James nods and walks up to Faye._

James- So… you probably don't know how to get to the health room.

Faye- I actually have a detailed map right h-

_James takes the map and rips it up. Faye seems a bit bemused by that._

James- That silly map is probably old and inaccurate. Come on, follow me!

_He starts walking around the hallways, and Faye follows him. We see Becky and Will throwing open the door to the health room._

Becky- _Drop your drugs_!

Will- Becky, they don't actually have drugs!

Becky- Whatever.

_Will gestures to the students._

Will- Yoga! Now!

Teacher- But I don't know how to-

Becky- Silence!

_She pulls some tape and yarn from a drawer._

Becky- I have an idea.

_We see James and Faye walking through the hallways._

Faye- I could have sworn we passed that classroom.

James- Whaaaat? I don't think so.

_Will and Becky come running up. They silently communicate with James._

James- This way!  


_He walks to the side, opening the door to the health room. Faye walks in, clearly not expected anything good. Instead, she sees the teacher and the students all in painful-looking yoga poses._

Teacher- H-hello, Inspector! We're just doing some good old yoga.

_Faye looks around the classroom, writing on her notepad._

Faye- Interesting.

_She walks out, waving her hand dismissively._

Faye- Let's continue the tour.

_James runs up to guide her._

James- Right away, right away!

_Becky smirks, untying a piece of yarn from the door, which sends the teacher and students crashing to the ground in exhaustion as the tape and yarn holding them in place unravels. The teacher starts to scream from the pain, but Becky shoots him with a dart and he collapses._

Becky- Anyone else want to make noise during the inspection?

_The students all shake their heads, petrified._

Becky- Good. Swallow your pain, kids.

Will- You scare me sometimes, Becky.

Becky- Only sometimes? Rude.

_They walk out of the classroom, and we cut to Charlie and Richard with their Sunlions in the forest, guarding their flag._

Charlie- Rita hasn't come back from her mission to get the Redclaws' flag… do y'all think she's alright?

Richard- Sir… Lupa can be very persuasive. Perhaps she betrayed us.

Charlie- Don't say that! Think positive!  


_Rita's voice comes from offscreen._

Rita- Appreciate your faith, but it's misplaced.

_Charlie and Richard whirl around to see Lupa and Rita standing with some Redclaws._

Charlie- Rita! Come on!

_Rita shrugs._

Rita- She offered me concert tickets to My Parents Hide My Socks in the Fridge and so I Don't Ever Have Socks and I Have to Walk in the Snow Barefoot Every Day, what can I say?

Richard- You'd betray your tribe for an emo British band?

Charlie- Richard, aren't you British?

_Richard entirely drops his accent, speaking in an incredibly annoying voice._

Richard- No, I just think it sounds better.

_Charlie winces._

Charlie- No, go back. The British accent was much more tolerable.

Lupa- Charlie, aren't you gonna initiate?

Charlie- Nah, I'm trying to take more of a laid-back commander approach, see how I like it.

_Lupa smiles._

Lupa- Great, 'cause I was planning on landing the first blow anyway!

_She swipes her spear at Charlie, who leaps back. Richard charges at Lupa while Rita chases down Charlie._

Lupa- Okay, I've been working on my improv. Let's come up with a plotline here.

_Richard rolls his eyes._

Richard- Do you _always_ have to be this dramatic?

Lupa- See, this is why I hang out with Charlie and not you.

_Meanwhile, Charlie is weaving around all of Rita's attacks, tripping her up with his ribbon. She grunts._

Rita- I thought Lupa said you weren't back into fighting yet!

Charlie- I make exceptions for traitors.

_Suddenly, Charlie's head whips to the side and he leaps back. An arrow whistles by him, hitting Rita square in the stomach. She groans and falls to the ground as the poison takes effect._

Rita- Why does this always happen to me?

_Everyone looks to see Amaru and his second-in-command Julio leading some Jadebiters._

Lupa- Gasp! A twist!

Amaru- Thought I wouldn't stop by? We could hear you all the way from our flag.

Lupa- Wanna team up against Charlie?

_Amaru chuckles._

Amaru- I don't think so. We fight fair.

_He fires an arrow at Lupa, but she blocks it. The fighting breaks back out between all three tribes, and Julio, Rita, and Charlie all end up fighting._

Charlie- Julio? Long time no see!

Julio- Well, I was introduced in the prequel, so I'm sort of being hastily introduced now.

Rita- Stop talking about the prequel, guys! We don't want spoilers!

_Richard rushes towards Amaru, managing to dodge an arrow. Unfortunately, just as Richard reaches him he is knocked into a tree by a laughing Lupa making an advance of her own. She swipes at Amaru, but he tosses down a vial of poison, creating a green fog. Lupa comes out of fog coughing and reunites with Rita. The three tribes group up and prepare to fight when they hear a whistle from the tree above them. They look up to see Xander holding all their flags and smirking._

Xander- That was almost too easy.

_He leaps away, and everyone watches him go with their mouths open._

Charlie- So, um…

Lupa- Who wants to team up and get our flags back?

_Everyone raises their hands._

Amaru- Great! I brought snacks for everyone!

_We cut to Charlotte, AJ, Lauren, and Hannah arriving at the science wing of Woodsworth. Students are running out of the area in terror, and Lauren grabs one on their way out._

Lauren- HEY!

_The student screams, and Hannah tries to calm them down._

Hannah- Relax, relax. What's going on here?

Student- Th-there's soldiers in there! They've taken over the whole wing.

_Charlotte narrows her eyes and marches up to the guard in front of the wing._

Charlotte- _Why_ didn't you inform me about this _immediately_?

_The guard stammers out an answer, clearly terrified of her._

Guard- Um… w-with all due respect… you aren't really known to respond well to bad news, Charlotte?

Charlotte- Charlotte?

Guard- Sorry, Charlotte-sama.

Charlotte- Dungeon!

_The guard is dragged away by other Woodsworth soldiers as AJ runs up with his magnifying glass._

AJ- Never fear! We shall unearth the culprit behind this takeover!

_Hannah humors him._

Hannah- Yes we _will_ , AJ.

Charlotte- Let me call some soldiers in and-

Lauren- No offense, Charlotte, but Woodsworth soldiers are useless. The Whisperer wasn't exactly an expert drill instructor.

_Charlotte shrugs._

Charlotte- Fine, then. I'm suing you if we get captured, though.

_Lauren looks at her blankly._

Lauren- Suing? Is that like a wrestling move?

_AJ, Hannah, and Charlotte all stare at her._

Lauren- What? I'm not allowed to joke too?

Hannah- Come on. Let's just be on our way.

AJ- To mystery! To intrigue!

_They open the door to the science wing and step inside. Hard cut to them being attacked by a horde of soldiers and being clearly overwhelmed._

Charlotte- _Why_ didn't you let me call the soldiers, _Lauren_!?

_Lauren shoves back an enemy._

Lauren- I thought I could handle it, _okay_.

_AJ and Hannah stand on top of a box as Hannah pulls various items from her purse and tosses them at soldiers._

Hannah- Now is _not_ the time to fight, guys!

_AJ jumps down and walks up to an enemy._

AJ- Hey, can I ask you some questions for the investigation? Who are you working for? What do you want?

_The soldier aims a paintball pistol at AJ before being knocked out by Lauren, who slings AJ over her soldier._

Lauren- Your stupidity continues to amaze me, AJ.

_AJ looks through his magnifying glass at the unconscious soldier, spotting a blue badge with the Forrester tree on it._

AJ- Forrester soldiers… intriguing.

Charlotte- These guys are from Forrester?

Hannah- Then there's a good chance their leader is too!

_Charlotte rolls her eyes as she kicks a soldier aside._

Charlotte- I was _just_ about to say that, Hannah. Can we stop talking one sentence at a time?

Hannah- Sorry, my bad.

_Another group of soldiers rush in and see Lauren._

Soldier- False sheriff!

_Lauren gets a little angry at that, raising her fist._

Lauren- Does _this_ look false to you?!  


_Charlotte pulls her back as more and more soldiers stream in, aiming their weapons._

AJ- According to my findings, we are backed into a corner.

Charlotte- For no reason at all, AJ, would you prefer to be killed by a friend or an enemy?

_The soldiers prepare to fire, but suddenly a cloud of smoke billows around all of them, and the noises of a battle sound from inside, unconscious soldiers falling out of the smoke. Eventually, the smoke clears to reveal Karasu standing over the soldiers._

Lauren- Weird bird ninja person?

Hannah- Their name is Karasu, Lauren.

Charlotte- It's about sending a message, Hannah.

Lauren- Right on.

_Charlotte and Lauren fist bump, and Karasu rolls their eyes, but still looks around, seemingly a bit desperately._

Karasu- I heard that Forrester kids were coming over here? Where is he?

_Everyone else looks at them blankly._

Karasu- Where's Charlie?

AJ- He's not here.

_Karasu looks a little crestfallen._

Karasu- Oh…oh.

_Hannah takes initiative and walks towards them._

Hannah- Hey, you wanna come back with us to Forrester after this?

_Karasu recoils._

Karasu- No! I don't wanna go to your stupid school!

_They blow their hair up in an attempt to look cool._

Hannah- Well, thank you for saving us anyway.

Karasu- W-whatever. I don't even know why I came here!

_They start to walk away, but slowly turn around._

Karasu- If I help you guys out here, would you tell Charlie about it?

AJ- Why w-

Karasu- Don't ask why!

_Hannah notices Karasu's panicked expression._

Hannah- Sure. Sure, we could do that.

Charlotte- Can this little moment wrap up. We have an enemy to hunt down.

AJ- An enemy from _Forrester_. Did we pick up any clues during that fight?

Lauren- They called me a false sheriff.

AJ- Hm…

_He thinks for a bit._

AJ- I'll continue to percolate on it.

_They walk out of the room, and Hannah smiles at Karasu._

Hannah- I just want to say, I think it's _so_ cool you're trying to make up for what you did. You're a bird after my own heart.

Karasu- What? That is _not_ why I am doing this! And stop talking to me! We are not friends!

Hannah- Here's how it went for me…

Karasu- AAARGH!

_We cut to James, Will, and Becky leading Inspector Faye into the Forrester cafeteria._

Will- And here we have our lovely cafeteria.

_James mutters to himself, a bit insane._

James- Very neat, very tidy, very good.

_Faye scrutinizes the room, noticing the scuffs on the walls. She sniffs the air disdainfully._

Faye- It seems that some sort of fight happened here.

James- Whaaaat? _No_. Forrester does _not_ allow _any_ violence.

_He looks to Will and Becky for support._

Will- Yeah, totally.

Becky (monotone)- One hundred percent.

_James notices Faye walking towards a closet and panics._

James- No, don't-

_Faye opens the closet and steps aside as a cascade of paintball guns and weapons flows from it. Faye scribbles a note on her clipboard._

Faye- Interesting…

_Becky pulls James aside._

Becky- Give me the word and I'll put her to sleep.

Will- We can still save this inspection, guys!

Faye- _Ahem._

_They all whirl around to face Faye._

Faye- I'd like to speak with the administrators, please.

_James' eyes widen._

James- Oh… o-of course.

_Cut to Faye mercilessly staring down some clueless looking adults._

Faye- So sorry to interrupt your busy day.

Administrator One- Um, uh-huh.

_Slow pan to reveal empty gaming chairs and a paused video game behind the administrators._

Faye- Now, I just have some questions about the financial state of Forrester.

Administrator Two- Financials… yeah, we know about those.

_James buries his face in his hands. Will shakes him._

Will- James, come on! We can figure this out!

_He turns to Becky._

Will- He's not breathing!

Becky- Oh, _no_. What a shame.

Faye- So… by how much has the school's annual profit grown since our last inspection? You recall how we suggested a raise in tuition prices, yes?

Admin One- Yes… yes, of course. The rise in profit has been…

_She hears something, and looks past Faye to see Will pointing at a movie poster for a film called 'Fourteen Giraffes.'_

Admin One- Ah, yes! The rise has been giraffes!

_Will facepalms and points to the word 'fourteen'._

Admin One- Sorry, fourteen! Fourteen percent!

_Faye arches an eyebrow and looks behind her to see Will and Becky standing innocently and James still unresponsive on the ground._

Faye- And in the long run, what do you expect to use these funds for.

Admin Two- Well…

_Will and Becky panic, Will frantically whispering._

Will- No more posters.

Becky- Ugh, relax. You're giving me a migraine.

_Will thinks of something._

Will- Quick! Be quiet!  


_Will pulls Becky close and they start awkwardly dancing._

Admin Two- We're using the funds for a dance hall!

_Will mimes swinging a golf club._

Admin Two- And a golf course.

_Will mimes banging a gavel while Becky mimes making a speech._

Admin Two- And a proper conference room for our model UN team.

_Faye nods._

Faye- Interesting. I hear the model UN scene is especially cutthroat these days with those Chicago teams dominating every conference.

Becky- Ugh! Don't get me started!

_Faye turns around and Becky falls silent._

Becky- Don't mind me.

_Faye smirks and starts to walk out of the office._

Faye- Well, that's enough questions. On with the tour, children!  


Will- You do model UN?

_Becky rolls her eyes._

Becky- I have _hobbies_ , Will. Wake up your boyfriend, would you?

_Will shakes James awake, and he seems a little tired and euphoric._

James- Wiiiiiiiiiiill.

Will- Don't worry, James, we handled it.

_James grins a big dumb grin._

James- I always had faith in yoooooou.

_He gives Will a kiss on the cheek and Will melts._

Will- AAAAAAAAAWW!

_James suddenly snaps out of it and quickly brushes himself off._

James- Uh… forget about that, would you?

Will- Never in a thousand years.

_James rolls his eyes but smiles and they run after Becky and Faye. We cut to Charlie, Lupa, Amaru, Richard, Rita, and Julio skulking through the woods with a handful of soldiers._

Richard- Sir, _please_ remind me again why we didn't bring all of our troops?

Charlie- Richie, Richie, we fight fair in the Valley, remember?

Amaru- We can't just use all our troops against the Nightfeathers! Besides, we don't need them!

_Meanwhile, Lupa is pressing her back against trees as she blasts spy music from her phone._

Rita- Lupes… what are you doing?

_Lupa speaks in a French accent_

Lupa- Shush! Right now we are French spies deep behind enemy lines. Be quiet.

Julio- You're the one blasting music from your phone.

_Lupa raises her fists, still attempting a French accent._

Lupa- You wanna go, small-fry?

Julio- Come on, let's-

_He screams as a shadow flits past him, whisking him away and disappearing._

Amaru- Julio!

_More screams sound out and the three tribe leaders whirl around to see that they are now alone. Xander walks out, holding the flags._

Xander- Looking for these?

Charlie- Okay, for someone who's just a temporary Nightfeather, you are taking this _way_ too seriously.

_Xander ignores his statement._

Xander- You really think the three of you can take down all of us?

_More Nightfeathers come from the shadows, and Charlie, Lupa, and Amaru all exchange grins._

Lupa- You think we got where we are by losing?

_Xander points forward and the tribe leaders fight off the horde of Nightfeathers with relative ease._

Charlie- Amaru, pass me some poison?

Amaru- Sure! You can buy one, get one free!

Charlie- I have to buy them? What happened to you?

Amaru- I got some tips from that Becky girl!

Charlie- Ugh, forget it!

Lupa- Guys, we're like the Three Musketeers! Or the Three Amigos! Or the Three Stooges! I guess good things always come in threes.

Charlie- Ugh, can we finish this before she starts quoting?

_They burst out from the crowd of Nightfeathers and rush towards Xander. He manages to fend off some strike, but is forced to stumble back, signing clumsily._

Xander- I will sue you for attacking a disabled person!

_Amaru stops in the middle of the fight and turns to the camera._

Amaru- For clarity's sake, we believe in rights for all disabled people, and that they should be treated with the same dignity as anyone else.

_The words 'This PSA brought to you by LievTech' flash along the bottom before the chase resumes. We quickly cut to Woodsworth, where Karasu sharply turns their head to the side as the gang walks through the hallways and Hannah tries to talk to them._

Hannah- So, anyway, you need to face your problems head on and-

Karasu- Gotta go.

Hannah- W-what?

_Karasu leaps up into a vent, poking their head back down briefly._

Karasu- Thanks, Hannah.

Hannah- Oh… no problem.

AJ- You just let them leave? They could still be a suspect!

Charlotte- Oh, please, AJ. You haven't already figured out who's behind this?

AJ- Um… no?

_Charlotte rolls her eyes and throws open a door, revealing Constance standing with some soldiers._

Constance- I've been expecting you!

Charlotte- See, it was her.

Constance- Constance Primm! I have a name!

Lauren- Oh, yeah, that evil replacement sheriff from last season.

Constance- Correct! I took some soldiers that were still loyal to me and went into hiding, but now I shall rise up and defeat you all. You fell right into my trap.

_She stares at the group._

Constance- Wait… where's James and Will?

Lauren- Why are we not good enough for _everyone_ today? It's just us, deal with it!

Constance- Ugh, fine. I'll march on Forrester after I deal with you.

_Charlotte groans._

Charlotte- I got this. Hannah, arm me.

_Hannah pulls a bo staff out of her purse and tosses it to Charlotte. Constance pulls out one of her own and they begin to fight while Lauren, AJ, and Hannah fight the soldiers._

Charlotte- So, I don't suppose there's any unexpected depths to your character I should know about?

Constance- Well, actually, when I was young, my father-

_Charlotte whacks Constance in the face._

Charlotte- It was a rhetorical question.

_Constance gets angry and knocks Charlotte down onto the ground._

Constance- I'll tell you this! You're going to remember the name Constance Primm forever!

Charlotte- Is that your name? I literally already forgot.

_Constance sputters, and Charlotte tosses her staff up to Lauren, who leaps in the air and smashes it down on Constance's head, knocking her out cold. AJ rolls out from under an unconscious soldiers and tugs on Constance's hair._

AJ- Let's see who Constance _really_ is!

_He just tugs on the unconscious woman's hair until Hannah bats his hand away._

Hannah- Please stop, AJ.

AJ- Well, we didn't solve a mystery and we didn't have any emotional beats. What was the point of all that?

Charlotte- I got screentime, AJ. I'm not going to complain.

Lauren- Well, _I_ learned a valuable lesson. I clearly have to train the Woodsworth troops a lot better.

Charlotte- And I learned that I wasn't exerting enough control over my territory. I'll have to go full totalitarian in the future.

Hannah- But guys… at least we did it together, right?

_Charlotte and Lauren give Hannah death glares._

Lauren- Please… shut up, Hannah.

_We cut to Xander running from Charlie, Amaru, and Lupa._

Charlie- C'mon, Xander! Just give us the flags!

_Xander eventually stops and faces them down. Lupa snorts._

Lupa- At least you'll die a martyr.

_Lupa rushes at Xander, but a cloud of smoke billows. Lupa is knocked back as Karasu appears. Xander is shocked._

Xander- Karasu?

_Charlie is even more shocked, and he and Karasu lock eyes._

Karasu- Xander… the flags.

_Confused, Xander hands over the flags, and Karasu immediately offers them to the other tribe leaders._

Amaru- What?

Karasu- Consider it a peace offering.

_They look at Charlie, waiting for him to say something._

Charlie- W… why?

Karasu- I talked to a girl with a palindromic name, and now I'm putting the past behind me. I… I hope that you all can do the same too.

_Charlie takes the flags, still a bit confused._

Karasu- Plus, the game was clearly unfair. The Nightfeathers didn't have their best player.

Xander- So… you're coming back to the Nightfeathers?

Karasu- Yeah… yeah, I am. And you don't have to be mad at Charlie anymore, Xander. If he ticks me off again, I'll fight him myself.

_Charlie stammers for a second, but eventually manages a joke._

Charlie- You really think that's the best idea? I wouldn't want to leave the Nightfeathers without a leader again.

_Karasu is taken aback, but snickers. They walk towards the other tribal leaders, who welcome them back into the group._

Amaru- Welcome back, Su.

Karasu- Um, I did _not_ say we could use nicknames again or ever.

Lupa- Fine, but I'm dragging you to the next _Ninja Vampire Lovers_.

_As Amaru and Lupa chatter, Karasu and Charlie exchange a small smile, but Charlie is still standing distinctively separate from the other three._

Xander- Well, I guess that's the game.

_He snaps his fingers and Nightfeathers drop Richard, Rita, and Julio from the trees. They look a little frazzled but stand up and join the group. They're all interrupted by James and Becky quickly running up to them._

James- HIDE!

Charlie- What are you-

James- HIDE!

Richard- Excuse me, I don't-

_Becky shoots Richard with a dart and he slumps over. James is clearly going crazy._

James- Please, just hide!  


_The Maple Valley kids grumble but oblige, hiding in bushes and trees. Will and Faye's voices echo through the woods._

Will- Are you _sure_ you need to inspect the woods? They're not even school property!

Faye- Forrester sponsors Pine Park. The state of the woods will reflect on your school, child.

_They arrive in the clearing to find just James and Becky._

James- Th-the woods are exceptionally tidy today, Inspector!

_Faye's eyes suddenly narrow and she looks around, noticing the broken branches. She grins at James and Will._

Faye- Planning a little ambush for me, are we?

_James and Will are taken aback._

Will- What are you talking about, Inspector?

_Faye sighs._

Faye- Let's get this over with.

_She pulls out a taser and aims it into a bush, shocking Richard. Charlie immediately rolls out of his bush and rushes at her, but she easily fends him off in hand to hand combat. Charlie whistles, and the rest of Maple Valley reveals themselves, brandishing weapons. James sighs and narrows his eyes._

James- Well, I didn't want to have to do this, but it seems that we're going to have to work out a deal.

_Faye looks around her and smiles widely._

Faye- I was wondering when you all would show your _real_ achievements.

_James falters._

James- Excuse me?

_Faye flips through her clipboard._

Faye- These students appear to be from Maple Valley. Making an alliance with another school, especially one with this strong a military? Full marks for diplomacy, children.

Will- Inspector, what are you-

_Faye holds up a hand._

Faye- Of course I've heard about what occurred with Woodsworth. You've been collected tribute from them, I assume?

_James temporarily recovers._

James- Well, naturally.

Faye- Full marks in imperialism as well.

_She puts her clipboard back in her handbag._

Faye- Well done, children. You've passed this inspection with flying colors.

Will- An inspection for what, exactly?

Faye- We judge the progress of each school on its own scale. Forrester's just happens to be more political than most.

James- Th…thank you?

Faye- One suggestion, though. Educate your administrators more on school policies. They don't need to know it, of course, but it's always good to have a puppet leader you can fall behind.

Will- We'll keep it in mind.

_A rope drops down, and everyone looks up to see a helicopter above the forest. Faye grabs on to the rope and is pulled up and away. Silence for a few seconds._

Becky- Well, this day has been a waste of my time.

_End episode._


	54. Rule the School S3E5

**Episode Five: Lies, Spies, and a Face You'll Recognize**

Synopsis: Lauren, Becky, and Charlie try to track down some mysterious criminals; James, Will, AJ, and Hannah engage in a prank war; Charlotte visits Maple Valley.

_We open on Will walking through Forrester, looking tired and haggard. He has bad bed head and bags under his eyes. Hannah comes running up to him._

Hannah- WILLWILLWILLWILLWILL!

_Will looks down at her groggily._

Will- What…what is it?

Hannah- You remember that photo shoot we scheduled, right?

Will- …no?

Hannah- I guess you wouldn't. I just planned it like ten minutes ago. Come on!

_She grabs Will's arm and drags him into a side room._

Will- Normally I'd be all for a photo shoot… but I am _not_ looking my best today. I didn't really get a lot of sleep and-

Hannah- Nonsense! I can fix this!

_Will groans, and Hannah winces._

Hannah- What kept you up, anyway?

Will- You know… leader stuff.

_Hannah sees James walking past the doorway as well, similarly tired-looking. She smirks._

Hannah- How late did you stay up talking to James?

_Will flushes._

Will- It was all politics, I swear! Just, you know… economics and things like that.

_Hannah gives him a look, and Will deflates._

Will- Until four am.

Hannah- Well, I'm not cancelling this shoot. This is salvageable.

_She pulls a lever, opening a trapdoor beneath her and Will. They fall into a room with shelves of makeup, mirrors, and clothing. Hannah puts on some goggles and gloves and turns towards Will, grinning._

Hannah- Hold still.

_There is a quick series of moments of Hannah getting Will ready. She applies approximately two tons of makeup onto his face, causing him to cough._

Hannah- Ugh, your hair is _so_ messy.

Will- It's just-

_He screams as Hannah yanks a comb through his hair. Then we see Will in a chair, having his nails painted by Hannah._

Will- Is this really necessary?

Hannah- Quiet!

_She stands up, narrowing her eyes._

Hannah- Has your jawline always been slightly out of place?

Will- I don't really…

_He trails off as he sees Hannah grabbing a giant wooden hammer from the wall._

Will- Um, Hannah? What's-

_We cut to a corner of the room as we hear Will scream. Hannah shoves Will into a dressing room and tosses some clothes in after him._

Hannah- Stop whining and get dressed.

_She pauses then throws some ointment in after it._

Hannah- Just apply some ointment on your jaw, Will. You'll be fine.

_We cut to James sitting in the audience at the press room for the photo shoot. He looks up as AJ sits next to him._

James- Hey, AJ. What are you doing here?

AJ- What are _you_ doing here? Just admiring your boyfriend?

_James rolls his eyes._

James- I hope that's not what _you're_ doing.

_AJ goes red._

AJ- Oh, please. I'm here for totally unrelated reasons.

_We see Hannah leading Will onstage. He's wearing a black buttoned shirt, a green jacket, a hot green scarf, and leather pants._

Will- How do I look?

Hannah- Puff up your _chest_.

_She basically uppercuts Will in the ribs, knocking the air out of him. He manages a smile._

Will- Thanks, Hannah.

_As Will walks onstage, James and the audience claps, but AJ is slumping in his seat slightly nervously. James glances at him as he sits down._

James- What's up with you?

AJ- Oh…nothing. Just having some potential regrets.

_James raises an eyebrow._

James- What about?

AJ- Would you say that Will is the vengeful type?

James- AJ… what did you do?

AJ- I just had some spare glitter and glue, and I just thought-

James- AJ!

_He looks up towards the stage to see Will posing for the cameras._

Will- Get my good side. Oh, wait, that's all of them.

_James looks up and sees a comically large bucket positioned above Will slowly tipping over. He practically leaps out of his seat, running up to the stage in slow motion._

James- WILL!

_From backstage, Hannah notices the bucket and quickly starts to rush onstage._

Will- Hey, James. You wanna get some couple pics?

_Before James can reach the stage, the bucket tips, covering both Will and Hannah in glue and glitter. Gasps echo through the crowd, and Will and Hannah look furious._

Will- _What_?

James- I tried to warn you, Will. It was-

_AJ pops up next to James._

AJ- That's right! Me and James did it!

Hannah- Excuse me?

_AJ starts dragging James out of the room._

AJ- Get pranked!  


_They reach the outside of the room and AJ slams the door behind them._

James- What was that, AJ!? When did you get so bold?

AJ- No main villain has showed up yet! Someone needs to stir up hijinks.

James- Well, don't drag _me_ into it!

AJ- I panicked, okay! Just relax, James. This is all over now.

_We cut to Will and Hannah inside, wiping glue off of themselves and looking sinister._

Will- This is _not_ over.

_We cut to Becky in the middle of a model UN conference._

Becky- And that's why we should start policing the thoughts of the world's citizens. Execute them before they can act against the government. I present this resolution to the chair.

Chair- Swiss delegate, that is an absurd suggestion that's not within our power. It's dilatory and I'm not putting that to a vote. Sit down, delegate.

Becky- I move for a hostile takeover.

_She pulls out a gavel and bangs it._

Becky- Approved.

Chair- You can't-

_He slumps to the ground as a poison dart sinks into his neck. We quickly cut to the other delegates running out of the room screaming as Becky fires after them. She smirks._

Becky- Another victory for Switzerland.

_Her phone buzzes and she pulls it out of her pocket. It's a text from James that says 'There's more paperwork for you to file in the office.'_

Becky- ARGH.

_She swiftly turns around and struts down the hallway, muttering to herself and throwing dirty glances at everyone she passes._

Becky- Stupid internship. I don't even know why I keep doing this. I should just quit! You know what, I will. I will quit!

_Hard cut to Becky scanning sheet after sheet of paper on a fax machine while she also checks her phone._

Becky- Whatever. I'll just quit tomorrow.

_She grabs the papers and starts walking back towards James and Will's office. However, as she approaches the office she sees a shady-looking student just leaving._

Becky- Hey! What were you doing in James and Will's office?

_The student takes off, and Becky starts running after him._

Becky- Get back here!

_The student rounds a corner and Becky runs up to a nearby boy._

Becky- Zeke! Help me out here!

Zeke- Heh. You're just an intern. I don't have to listen to you.

_Becky grabs his ear and pulls him down, whispering._

Becky- Then I guess you want _everyone_ to know that you were the one who reminded Will about spirit week last year.

_Zeke goes white and immediately starts running after the shady student. He's much faster, and is able to tackle the student to the ground. The student scrambles to her feet only to collapse as Becky shoots her with a poison dart. She huffs and flicks her hair to the sides._

Becky- Great. Now I have to do actual _work_ today.

_We cut to Charlotte walking up to Maple Valley, surrounded by guards with paintball rifles. They are all stopped at the entrance by some Valley soldiers._

Valley Soldier- Miss, as I'm sure you're aware, we don't allow guns on the Valley.

_Charlotte rolls her eyes._

Charlotte- You're confiscating stuff now? Ugh.

_She gestures for her guards to hand over their weapons, and pulls out several guns from various hidden pockets._

Charlotte- Happy now?

_She makes a point to step on the soldiers' toes as she passes, walking up the stairs where Amaru and Lupa are waiting._

Amaru- Charlotte! What brings you here on such short notice? I didn't have time to make any snacks!

Charlotte- I just thought I should pay a diplomatic visit to the Valley from Woodsworth.

_Amaru and Lupa look at her dubiously._

Charlotte- And I ran out of prisoners to beat up and interrogate.

Lupa- Eh, just pull some random kids out of class. It's what I would do.

Charlotte- I respect that.

_Lupa and Amaru chuckle._

Amaru- Well, we appreciate the olive branch nonetheless. Our people are still recovering from the conflict with Woodsworth, and they could use all the reassurance they could get.

_Charlotte purses her lips._

Charlotte- Mm-hm, yeah, that sounds like it really sucks for them. I was just thinking we could take some photos together or whatever and then I could get back for lunch.

_Amaru and Lupa look a little crestfallen, and an entourage of Maple Valley students surround Charlotte, holding welcome signs and throwing confetti. Charlotte is not amused._

Charlotte- I thought you said you couldn't prepare anything on short notice.

Amaru- Trust me, it takes less time to organize a welcome party than to bake perfect cookies.

_He is pulled aside by Lupa._

Lupa- What's with her? Does she hate us or something?

Amaru- I think that's just her face, Lupa.

Lupa- Well, she's not getting away with just taking a few photos. We need to forge real relationships between schools.

Amaru- Great idea! Let's give her a tour of the school! She'll love it!

_They turn back to Charlotte as she shoos away the welcome party._

Charlotte- Confetti is just overcompensation for one's own lack of a personality.

Amaru- Um, great. Anyway, we were thinking of taking you-

Lupa- To the Warrior's Path!

_Charlotte and Amaru both look at her, confused._

Charlotte- The what?

Lupa- It's a Valley rite of passage! If you do it, it'll show the bond between our schools.

_Charlotte rolls her eyes._

Charlotte- I really don't think that-

Lupa- I mean, James and Will did it, so-

Charlotte- Say no more. Let's go.

_Lupa grins at a confused Amaru as they walk into the school. We cut to Hannah and Will standing on an indoor balcony of Forrester, observing the stage on the auditorium._

Hannah- Not to be mean, but why do we have to watch James' biweekly state of the school address.

Will- My informants have told me that backstage, AJ annoyed James into letting him help so he could feel useful.

_Hannah sighs._

Hannah- Yep. That's definitely AJ.

Will- This is our moment of vengeance, Hannah! My photo shoot was ruined! I was betrayed by those closest to me… and also AJ!

Hannah- What's the plan?

_Will clicks his fingers and a student runs up to them (maybe it's one of Lauren's deputies or something). Will whispers instructions in their ear, and they rush away._

Hannah- Um… explanation?

Will- You'll see. I love surprises.

_AJ and James walk onstage. James looks at AJ, a little exasperated._

James- Welcome, all, to the state of the school address. Today, I have the…privilege… of being accompanied by my interpreter, AJ. And no, he does _not_ know any sign language.

_James pauses, glancing at an eager AJ before beginning his speech._

James- In the past two weeks, our schools has experience unprecedented economic prosperity. Through vigorous marketing and quality products, our bake sale was a massive success.

_As James speaks, AJ exaggeratedly mimes along. For example, when James mentions economic prosperity, he does the 'making it rain' gesture, etc. However, as James is speaking, the student that Will spoke to earlier sneaks up behind both of them, hooking a rope to each of their waists. We see Will whispering to Hannah, to which she grins deviously._

Hannah- Brilliant.

Will- I have to say, I'm surprised you're so eager for revenge.

Hannah- What? You think I'm too nice to defend my honor? Will, you were my fashion Magnum Opus. My human canvas!

_Will chuckles._

Will- It's time.

_He pulls a lever next to him, and onstage, James and AJ are pulled upwards by the waist, dangling in the air in a very undignified manner._

James- W-what is the meaning of this?

_AJ mimes being angry as James struggles. Finally, James spots Will and Hannah on the balcony._

James- AJ… what was it you said earlier about this whole prank thing being over?

_Will smirks and pulls out two paintball rifles, tossing one to Hannah. They aim and fire them in perfect sync, splattering James and AJ's faces with paint._

Will- Okay, now strike a pose just like we practiced.

_Will and Hannah strike a dramatic pose as a poster is revealed behind them of Will's face and the words 'Don't_ Cross _Me' before turning around and walking away. James yells after them as he dangles onstage._

James- This is not over, you two! You just started a war!

AJ- I think technically _we_ started it.

James- No, _you_ started it.

_He narrows his eyes._

James- But _we'll_ finish it.

_We see Becky running up to Will and Hannah as they walk away._

Hannah- Becky! Are you interested in joining us in a prank war?

_Becky rolls her eyes._

Becky- That sounds like a personal problem.

_Hannah pouts._

Becky- Plus, there's more important matters. I caught someone running out of your office, Will, and when I checked, the computer's history showed some files had been permanently deleted.

Will- Well, that's not good. You'll have to make sure this isn't a group job.

Becky- You mean _we'll_ have to make sure.

Will- I've actually been practicing this fun skill called delegation! It's when you-

Becky- I know what delegation is, Will.

Will- Great, cause I'm delegating this project to you! Don't worry, you'll have a team. Lauren, Charlie!

_A crash echoes through the hallways, and everyone turns to see Lauren and Charlie walking through a hole in the wall._

Lauren- What's up?

Will- We've got a job for you. Becky's in charge.

Lauren- Um, no thanks.

Charlie- C'mon, Lee. Scared of an actual mission?

_Lauren narrows her eyes._

Lauren- You're on, Notch.

_She and Charlie walk over to Becky. Will rubs his hands together in glee._

Will- Now, if you'll excuse us, Hannah and I have a war to win.

_Hannah and Will walk off, and Becky groans._

Becky- I hate my life.

Charlie- Oh, cheer up, Becks! This'll be fun!

_We cut to Becky, Charlie, and Lauren walking through the halls of Forrester._

Lauren- So, what? We gonna beat the truth out of this girl?

Charlie- Or charm the truth out of her.

_Lauren punches Charlie in the shoulder. Becky rolls her eyes._

Becky- Ugh. Did I have to get _you_ as my team?

Lauren- Watch your mouth, Becky. I don't care what Will says, we don't work for you.

Becky- Whatever. Before we interrogate the prisoner, we're going to see if we can figure anything out about the files that were deleted.

Karasu- Sounds good.

_Everyone whirls around to see Karasu standing there._

Lauren- When did you get here?

_Karasu shrugs, looking a bit awkward._

Karasu- I thought I'd help or whatever.

_A pause._

Karasu- Stop looking at me!

_Becky groans._

Becky- Ugh, I don't even care at this point. Come on.

_They enter the office, and Becky opens the computer, starting to type. Charlie eyes Karasu._

Charlie- Why aren't you at the Valley?

Karasu- I could ask the same of you.

Charlie- Point taken. Why come here, though? Just couldn't bear to spend a day without seeing me?

_Karasu, Lauren, and Becky all roll their eyes._

Karasu, Lauren, Becky- Ew.

Becky- _Anyway_ , I can't figure out what files were stolen, but the system the perpetrator got into is connected to everything in the school. The projectors, the internet… the security cameras.

_Becky slowly closes the computer and turns around to face the others. She nods, and they spring into action. Charlie grabs the security camera from the wall and tears it off, smashing it under his foot. Lauren grabs the computer and smashes it against the table repeatedly. Karasu grabs files from the drawers and scatters them all over the room. They look to Becky, who is surveying the chaos in horror._

Becky- All I wanted you to do was turn off the camera.

Charlie- Oh… that would make more sense.

_Becky's eye twitches slightly. Karasu produces a small pillow and hands it to her._

Karasu- Here. My screaming pillow.

Becky- Thank you.

_She screams into the pillow for about five seconds, then tosses it back to Karasu and brushes her hair aside._

Becky- Alright. Here's the plan.

_We cut to Charlie and Lauren exiting the office._

Lauren- _Finally_. We get to do what we're actually good at.

_They enter a room down the hallway where the female student criminal is sitting in a chair, tied up._

Student- I don't have to tell you anything!

_Charlie winks._

Charlie- Sure, you don't _have_ to. But you could if you _wanted_ to.

_A pause._

Student- Okay, now I _really_ don't want to tell you anything.

_Lauren growls and puts the student in a headlock._

Student- Hey!

Lauren- Who are you working with?

Student- No one! No one!

Lauren- Ugh! We're getting nowhere with her.

Charlie- It's time?

Lauren- It's time.

_Lauren picks up the student as Charlie rolls over a TV and puts in a disk._

Charlie- You see, hon, you forgot to delete some crucial information. We _know_ that your favorite movie is _A Girl against Canada._

Student- Um… uh-huh?

_Lauren chuckles._

Lauren- Well… how'd you like to watch the _famously bad_ direct to DVD sequel.

Student- NOOOOOOOO!

_As the student screams and Charlie starts to play the disk, we zoom on the security camera in the room. We see the security camera's view of the room, then pan to another security camera showing the outside of the office. Becky and Karasu walk out._

Becky- Ugh. Maybe we could have gotten more intel if the computer wasn't _destroyed._

Karasu- To be fair, you should have been more specific. All you did was give us a nod. How are we supposed to know what that means?

Becky- Whatever. Let's check in on the interrogation.

Karasu- I need to use the restroom.

Becky- Go, then!

_Becky walks towards the interrogation room, and we follow Karasu walking into the bathroom, out of view of the security cameras. Immediately, they tear the vent covering off of the ceiling, leaping up into the vents. By the office, we see a student looking around nervously, but then they open the office and dart in. Inside, they start searching through the files on the floor, only to be startled by Karasu's voice._

Karasu- And here I thought you'd be smarter than that.

_Hard cut to Karasu carrying the unconscious student into the interrogation room, where the others are waiting. The female student is sitting in the corner, weeping._

Lauren- Ugh…

Becky- Say it, Lauren.

Lauren- It looks like you were right, Becky.

Becky- Somehow I thought that would feel better, but I just realized the validation of stupid people means nothing to me.

Lauren- You little-

_Charlie holds Lauren back from attacking Becky._

Charlie- So our suspicion's been confirmed. This _is_ a multi-person job.

Becky- And they have access to the security cameras.

Karasu- So what's the plan now.

_Becky grins, and Karasu rolls their eyes._

Karasu- Sorry for asking.

Charlie- Welcome to Forrester, Su. We're all constantly annoyed at each other.

_We cut to Will and Hannah having a hushed conversation as they walk down a hallway._

Will- You got it?

Hannah- Yep.

_She hands Will a vial._

Hannah- From Becky's personal stash. It won't hurt James, but it _will_ embarrass him.

Will- Perfect. What are you going to be doing?

Hannah- Don't worry about me. I've got a surefire way to annoy them.

_Will sees James and AJ walking down the hallway._

Will- They're coming.

_The two pairs eye each other as they meet up outside the board room._

James- Will.

Will- James.

Hannah- AJ.

AJ- Hannah.

James- Now, obviously we have a _tiny_ conflict going on, but I'm sure we can put that aside during our meeting with the student representatives. _Right_?

_Will smirks._

Will- Of course, James. I wouldn't want to interfere with this important meeting, would I? And of course you wouldn't do anything, either.

James- Naturally.

Will- Super! Let's head in.

_They all start to head in except for Hannah._

AJ- Hannah?

Hannah- Eh, I've got some stuff to deal with. You guys can manage without me.

_AJ and Hannah glare at each other._

AJ- Whatever you say.

_As James and Will go to sit down, Will gasps._

Will- Oh my god! Is that a student trying to evade their taxes?

_James whirls around._

James- What? Where?

_Will quickly pours the vial of poison into James' tea just before James turns around. James narrows his eyes, obviously suspicious._

James- Can I get a new tea?

Student- Sorry, sir. We're all out.

_James glares at Will._

James- How convenient.

_James and Will both sit down._

Will- And now, we'll take the customary sip of tea before the beginning of the meeting.

Students- Hear, hear!

_James hesitates, glancing at a smirking Will._

James- You know, I think I read online that it's a boyfriend thing to swap drinks.

Will- No, no, I don't think so.

_Everyone is ready to drink, and they're staring at James. James looks to AJ, who shrugs helplessly_

Student- Whenever you're ready, sir.

_James gulps and holds the tea up to his mouth. Everyone sips, and as soon as he tastes the tea, James' eyes widen. He immediately splashes his tea to the side onto Will, who gasps._

Will- What?

James- What did you do?

Will- You don't understand what _you've_ done! The poison doesn't need to be ingested… it just needs to touch.

AJ- Wait, poison?

James- What did you think was happening, AJ?!  


_AJ shrugs, and James and Will both gasp simultaneously as the poison takes effect. Their limbs noticeably go limp._

James- What… what happened to me?

Will- I…I can't-

Student- Um, we didn't understand anything you guys are talking about, but can we get back to the meeting?

AJ- Are you guys serious?

James- No, no, we're _fine_. I don't feel a single thing.

AJ- W-what?

_Will tries to bring his head forwards, but it ends up falling onto the table._

Will- Yep. Student reps, please give your reports.

_As a student rep starts talking, James' head flops onto AJ's shoulder. They whisper to each other._

AJ- Um… what is going on with you?

James- It seems to be some sort of paralyzing agent.

AJ- You know you didn't _have_ to sip the tea.

_James' arms limply slaps AJ's face._

James- Don't be absurd, AJ. Do you have the voice modulator prepared?

_AJ nods, and squirms when James' hand moves up to his face._

AJ- Um… James?

James- Sorry, that was supposed to go to your shoulder. Can you give me a push?

_AJ shoves James in the other direction, and he flops onto Will._

James- Look what you did, Will! You're humiliating us both.

Will- Trust me, I only planning on embarrassing you. You're the one who had to mess things up.

James- I wasn't even involved with that whole glue thing. It was all AJ.

Will- It's too late, James. We're in too deep at this point, and you've made yourself my enemy.

_A pause._

Will- We're still going out to dinner tonight, right?

James- Yeah, yeah, of course.

_AJ presses a button on a voice modulator from under the table, and what sounds like Will's voice blares out._

Modulator- I'm Will Cross and I'm a stupid dumb baby that cries every day!

Student- Um… what was that?

_Will starts to talk, but his tongue stops working after the first word. James grins, but whirls around when he feels something on his back._

James- What is that?!

_James continues to squirm and try to look over his shoulders while the student reps still try to talk for some reason. AJ keeps pressing the voice modulator, but spots an elongated grabber arm continuously tapping on James from the door. We see Hannah outside wielding the grabber arm when AJ bursts out the door._

AJ- Hey!

_Hannah shortens the grabber arm and holds it in a fencer's stance._

Hannah- Your move.

_AJ whips out one of those sticky hand toys, sticking and pulling a nearby cart of weapons to himself. He sticks a foam knife and whips it at Hannah. She rolls to the side and elongates the grabber arm, hitting him in the stomach. She repeatedly slaps him across the face._

AJ- Ow, ow, ow!

_Hannah pauses._

Hannah- You okay?

_AJ sticks her foot and trips her up, pulling her towards him._

Hannah- What?

_She thrusts the grabber arm forward. AJ moves his head to the side, and the arm goes through the door, knocking James in the back of the head and sending him crashing onto the table. Unsure of the source, he glares at Will._

James- That it! You're done!

_James throws himself limply onto Will, and they start wrestling on the ground. We cut to Hannah and AJ fighting outside when James and Will roll through the doorway. Will is still speaking incoherently, and as he and James untangle themselves, he gets over to Hannah, able to move his hand._

Will- I think the poison's wearing off, Hannah.

_James and AJ look at each other._

James- AJ, if you help me win this, I'll actually follow you back on social media.

Will- Aren't you guys friends?

James- That's unimportant!  


_AJ rips his shirt off and yells._

AJ- AAAAAAAAAH!

_An awkward pause._

Hannah- Glad you're having fun, AJ.

Will- Let's end this!

_The two pairs charge at each other, and we cut to Amaru and Lupa standing inside Maple Valley in front of a large curtain covering something._

Amaru- Lupa… we've never let an outsider do the Warrior's Path.

Lupa- I think it's what she needs, Amaru. Challenges bring out the passion in all of us.

Amaru- Why do we care about this, again? The Valley's never particularly cared about foreign relations in the past.

Lupa- How did that work out for us? This is new chapter in our story, Amaru, and more characters to play off of means more _drama_!

_Dramatic close up of Lupa's face._

Lupa- And I live for the drama.

_Amaru chuckles._

Amaru- Well, the Warrior's Path will definitely bring the challenge you're looking for.

_Charlotte walks out, now dressed in workout clothing and tying her hair up. Lupa's jaw drops, and Amaru glances at her._

Amaru- Um… Lupa?

_Lupa snaps out of it._

Lupa- What?

_Amaru rubs his head, grinning._

Amaru- I should have known this was about your obsession with women in workout clothes.

Lupa- I have _no_ idea what you're talking about?

_A pause._

Lupa- Okay, but it's not _just_ about that!

_Charlotte walks over to them._

Charlotte- I'm ready. Can we please get this over with.

_Lupa and Amaru quickly snap out of their conversation._

Lupa- Yes, yes! Let's do that!

Amaru- Make sure you stretch before you-

Charlotte- I'm good.

Amaru- A-alright then.

_He pulls a rope next to him, and the curtain is lifted to reveal a massive, sprawling obstacle course._

Amaru- Behold!

_He looks pointedly at Charlotte, who reluctantly does a small golf clap. Lupa pulls out a sheet of paper._

Lupa- Warrior, are you prepared to undertake an arduous journey of battle and self-discovery.

Charlotte- Yep.

Lupa- Well then…

Lupa and Amaru- Begin!

_Charlotte begins to walk towards the obstacle at a very slow speed, easily dodging the various wrecking balls and pendulum blades flying at her from the ceiling. She examines her nails as she leaps between platforms and even yawns slightly. Amaru and Lupa looks a little confused._

Amaru- Well, she doesn't look that invested.

Lupa- She just needs it to be a bit more difficult! Come on.

_We see Charlotte walking through the obstacle course, muttering to herself._

Charlotte- I'll try foreign relations, I thought. It'll be fast, I thought.

_She slightly yelps when an arrow flies in front of her face, looking up and to the side to see Amaru and Lupa wielding crossbows from a balcony._

Charlotte- Hey!  


Lupa- Sorry, Charlotte. It's part of the challenge.

Charlotte- Well, if his aim is as bad as yours, then I think I'll be fine.

_Lupa grins and claps her hands. Charlotte's eyes widen as dozens of Maple Valley soldiers emerge on the balconies, all wielding crossbows._

Charlotte- You have _got_ to be kidding me.

_She runs as a barrage of arrows starts to be fired at her, quickly scaling a climbing wall and leaping across, landing on a spring and jumping up to a platform. Lupa cocks her crossbow and fires an arrow. Charlotte grabs it out of midair and tosses it back, hitting Lupa in the face. For the first time all episode, Charlotte smiles. Lupa laughs._

Lupa- Having fun yet?

Charlotte- The pain of others is always enjoyable.

_Charlotte reaches for her back, unsheathing her sword and throwing at a group of targets, hitting them all and catching the sword like a boomerang. A door opens, and Charlotte walks through into an arena filled with four Valley soldiers._

Charlotte- So what, do you guys stand here all day waiting for someone to do this stupid obstacle course?

Soldier 1- No…

Soldier 2- We take shifts.

Charlotte- Well, you can thank me for bringing some excitement into your life.

_She yells and charges at them, taking down one right away and fending off attacks from the other three. She sweeps two soldiers' legs, kicking one in the head and slamming her foot into the other's stomach. From above, Amaru points down._

Amaru- Fire!  


_Charlotte is trapped with the last soldier in what's basically a cage of arrows._

Soldier- No escape now!

_Charlotte rolls her eyes and tackles him, using his body to shield herself against the arrows and rolling to safety, sliding into a trapdoor as it opens._

Lupa- I think she's getting into it!

Amaru- I think _you're_ getting into it!

Lupa- Shut up!

_Charlotte emerges from a door only to face even more obstacle course._

Charlotte- There's more?

_Her hair starts to come in front of her face, and she blows it aside._

Charlotte- Whatever. Too late to back up now.

Lupa- And you're having fun?

_Charlotte snickers._

Charlotte- Maybe a little.

_She rushes into action, and we cut to Becky, Karasu, Charlie, and Lauren meeting in the office._

Becky- Well, there's clearly more members of this insidious organization. But how are we going to lure them out?

Karasu- I don't think you gave us enough of a chance to interrogate the prisoners. Charlie and I could employ some good old Valley tricks.

Charlie- Eh, I think a different approach might be best.

Karasu- Gone soft?

Charlie- Gone smart, mostly.

Lauren- Guys!  


_Everyone turns to her._

Lauren- I have a genius idea.

_Becky rolls her eyes._

Becky- Sure, let's let the brainless bulk come up with the plan.

_Cut to Lauren putting down a computer in the open with a sticker on it labelled 'Please Hack Me.'_

Becky- I was being sarcastic.

Charlie- Sorry, Beck, but you were outvoted.

_Becky glares at Karasu, who shrugs._

Karasu- Yeah, I'm gonna side with the crazy poison lady over my friend and a cool sheriff.

Becky- Stupid bandwagons. You guys realize they already hacked the system, right?

Lauren- Nope! We took some information from the offline cache and put it on here.

Becky- You _what_?

Charlie- C'mon, we've gotta go hide.

_He drags Becky into a closet while Lauren hides under a table and Karasu goes behind a nearby curtain._

Becky- Ugh, whatever. After this is over maybe we can try a real plan.

Charlie- Hey, this is the perfect chance for the two of us to spend some quality time together.

Becky- Remind me to have James and Will deport you later.

_Suddenly, they hear whispers from outside the closet._

Student 1- I don't know… this seems like a trap.

Student 2- The boss is paying us well. Don’t ask questions.

Charlie- Stay here. Let the fighters do the fighting.

_Charlie steps outside, and we see nothing except Becky as cries of battle echo from outside. She grits her teeth as she hears a yell from Lauren, fingering her dart gun. She breathes, throwing open the door and firing repeatedly, her eyes closed. She finally peeks to see she has shot not only the two students but also all three of her allies._

Lauren- That was a cry of victory, Becky.

Charlie- Here's a pointer. Look when you shoot.

_Everyone Becky shot collapses to the ground, paralyzed._

Becky- Relax. It's just temporary paralysis.

Lauren- I hate you.

_Becky picks up the computer and examines it._

Becky- Guys… the computer somehow got hacked.

_A pause._

Becky- Just like we thought.

_We see someone watching footage of them from a distant location._

Mystery Man (MM)- What?

Becky- We know you're watching us, whoever you are.

Charlie- Let's take it back a little bit. There's one thing you didn't know we figured out.

_We flash back to Charlie wrenching the security camera off the wall._

Becky- One more thing, guys… the hack was completed remotely.

Karasu- So what was the student doing?

_Becky pauses, waiting for them to figure it out._

Lauren- A decoy…

Becky- Exactly.

_Back to the present._

Becky- So we did a little test just to make sure you could see us through the security cameras, and then we did Lauren's stupid idea to make you think we didn't know about your remote hacking.

Lauren- Not such a stupid idea now!

Karasu- And secret information wasn't all we installed on that computer…

Becky- We also installed a program that latched onto your hack and tracked your location.

_A pause._

Becky- Okay, I can't make my dramatic proclamation with you guys lying there like idiots.

_She loads her gun with an antidote and shoots all three of them, sending them flying to their feet. Becky fixes her hair and points dramatically at the camera._

Becky- So we know where you are… and we're coming for you.

_Cut back to Mystery Man watching them._

MM- You! Increase the guards around the building!  


_Cut back to Becky and her crew. They hear yells from downstairs._

Lauren- Does anyone else hear that?

Becky- Whatever, it's probably irrelevant. Let's go.

_They walk off, and we cut to downstairs, where the prank war is raging in the cafeteria. AJ and Hannah are still dueling with their respective weapons. James and Will are hiding behind cover and occasionally peeking to shoot at each other with glue rifles._

Hannah- Just give up!

_She extends her grabber arm, grabbing AJ's leg and pulling it out from under him._

AJ- Argh!

_He whips out his sticky hand and grabs a nearby plate of food, splattering it onto Hannah. She gasps._

Hannah- How _dare_ you?

_James peeks out from behind his cover, but doesn't spot Will at all. Slowly, he slides out more, only to look to the side and see Will running towards him. Will fires some shots of paint from his rifle, splattering James' sweater. James screams in agony._

James- NOOOOOOOOO! My sweater!

_He fires wildly at Will, who tries to dive behind cover. Unfortunately, Will's nice shoes get caught in the crossfire._

Will- My shoes!

James- Don't even try to get it off. It dries hyper-fast.

_Will yells, standing up and running towards James. Unfortunately, James tosses a banana peel to the ground, tripping Will up. James rushes in to finish it, but is pushed back by Hannah's grabber arm as she rushes to help Will._

Hannah- Will, are you okay?

Will- I'm fine, I'm fine.

Hannah- We can take a break if you-

Will- As if! We are fighting until there's a winner!

_Hannah nods, helping him up. We see a quick montage/series of shots showing them fighting throughout the day and even into the evening. Eventually, they all look extremely haggard, having made a massive mess around them in the cafeteria. James pants._

James- R…ready to surrender yet?

Will- Y…you really feel the need to ask?

_All four of them raise their weapons and charge at each other. The screen goes black, and when we go back, they are all standing and facing away from each other. A second passes, and they all fall to the ground._

James- Too… weak. Can't… get up.

Will- I think we won.

AJ- Nuh-uh! We won!

_After a second, Hannah starts to laugh. Everyone else eventually joins in._

Hannah- This was kind of enjoyable, I'll be honest.

James- Yeah… it's nice to have an excuse to have some fun.

Will- Is that what this was about? You know you don't need an excuse to have fun?

AJ- So we decided to start this whole war and take up our entire day just because we're stressed?

Hannah- That does sound like something we'd do.

_They all struggle and are eventually able to stand up._

Will- Maybe next time, we can just do something together instead of going to war.

James- In hindsight, it seems somewhat obvious.

Hannah- Well, maybe we can spend some time together while we clean up.

_James starts to walk away._

James- Yeah, you guys have fun with that.

Will- Um, James?

_James turns around and looks at him, realizing what Will's asking._

James- Will, no. We're leaders of Forrester! We don't have time for manual-

_Hard cut to James, Will, AJ, and Hannah cleaning up the cafeteria._

James- I'm _not_ happy about this.

Will- We love you too, James.

_James rolls his eyes, but he gives a slight smile. We cut to Charlotte still running through the obstacle course. She flips through a series of pendulum blades, sliding under and jumping over various hurdles. Lupa and Amaru watch, duly impressed._

Lupa- Okay, this is getting a bit absurd.

Amaru- I guess watching a lot of anime _does_ make you a ninja.

_Charlotte looks up at a series of hanging, moving platforms, only to be taken aback as Richard, Rita, and Xander (Charlie's Sunlion gang), leap down, brandishing their weapons._

Rita- Not so fast!

Charlotte- Charlie's little posse? Is this what you're doing with your lives now?

Xander- The pay is surprisingly good.

Richard- Enough! You are _not_ getting to that finish line.

_Charlotte looks past them to see the finish line._

Charlotte- You really think I'm going to let you three stop me after I've already missed several meeting to do this obstacle course?

_She leaps into action, jumping from platform to platform and slashing down at Richard. They engage in a precarious swordfight as the platform sways from side to side until Xander kicks Charlotte off._

Charlotte- Argh!

_She almost tumbles into the pit below the platforms, but manages to grab onto one and pull herself up. She readies her blade as the three Sunlions surround her. Her eyes dart back and forth as she makes a plan. Suddenly, she chucks her blade at Richard, shocking him. She leaps over and kicks him off the edge, grabbing both his sword and her own and quickly defending herself against Xander and Rita. Eventually, she knocks Rita's axe out of her hands, sidestepping and pushing her into Xander. Both of them fall into the pit, and Charlotte looks up to the finish line. Panting, she sheathes her blade and leaps across the platforms, walking up to the finish line._

Lupa- Not so fast!

_Charlotte jumps back as Amaru and Lupa crash down from the air. Charlotte loudly groans._

Charlotte- Ugh! I think I've done enough.

_A pause._

Amaru- Yeah, that's fair.

_They move aside, letting her pass._

Charlotte- Um, excuse me?

Amaru- Oh, we just came down here because the cookies were finished!

_He holds up a plate full of cookies._

Amaru- Cookies!

_Charlotte smiles, rolling her eyes._

Charlotte- If this is how you greet all diplomats, I can't imagine you guys were ever that good at foreign relations.

Lupa- Oh, come on. That was the authentic Valley experience.

Charlotte- I have to say, it was kind of fun.

_Lupa and Amaru dance around her._

Lupa and Amaru- She looooved it! She looooved it!

_Charlotte undoes her hair and lets it down, sighing._

Charlotte- Well, I have to get back to Woodsworth. Unlike you two, I try to maintain some order among the populace.

Lupa- Hey!

Amaru- There _is_ a method to our madness.

_Charlotte turns around._

Amaru- Come again soon!  


_Charlotte turns back around, whipping out a calculator._

Charlotte- Hold on. If the average time to eat a cookie with an average radius of two inches is five seconds, and I want to eat at least three cookies, then…

_She looks up at Amaru and Lupa._

Charlotte- I suppose I could stay for some cookies.

Amaru and Lupa- Yay!

_They run up to her and the three of them start to walk away together._

Charlotte- You guys are way too excited about this. You should get out more.

_They all laugh, and we cut to Becky, Karasu, Lauren, and Charlie getting out of a car and looking up at a towering building._

Lauren- Why am I not surprised?

Becky- In hindsight, it seems obvious that he would be behind this?

_We finally see the building, which has a massive sign on it reading 'LievTech.'_

Charlie- How did y'all end up making an enemy out of a tech CEO?

_Becky and Lauren look at each other._

Becky- I don't know. Neither of us were there.

Lauren- I bet it was AJ.

Becky- Oh, agreed.

_Everyone else nods and murmurs in agreement._

Karasu- He'll have guards, you know.

Becky- Oh, I'm counting on it. Maybe you three can actually be useful for once.

_We see the guards at the front door, armed with tasers and batons. The gang approaches them, and they finger their weapons._

Guard 1- These the kids the boss told us to look out for?

Guard 2- I mean, they're kids, aren't they? Better safe than sorry.

Guard 1- Hey! Scram or we'll knock you out cold!

_Becky smirks, raising her dart gun. The guards react quick and raise their tasers, but Charlie grabs one's arm with his ribbon and Lauren chucks her axe at the other one, throwing off her aim. Becky fires twice, missing both._

Guard 2- Ha! Missed us!

Becky- Did I?

_The guards turn to see Karasu holding the darts. Before the two of them can react, they plunge the darts into their chests, knocking them out cold._

Karasu- Technically, you did still miss.

Becky- Whatever.

_She points up the building._

Becky- Mr. Liev's office should be at the top.

_Charlie raises an eyebrow._

Charlie- Cool. Let's scale the building.

Becky- _Excuse_ me?

Karasu- What? You foreigners don't free climb?

_Lauren looks up at the towering building, gulping._

Lauren- We'll take the elevator.

_She and Becky start to head inside._

Charlie- Boo! Lame!

Karasu- It's not their fault.

_Charlie and Karasu exchange a glance._

Karasu- There are some tricks you can only learn at the Valley.

_Charlie grins, and he and Karasu leap into action to climb the building, Karasu leaping from niche to niche and Charlie pulling himself up with his ribbon and even using it to toss Karasu further. Meanwhile, Becky and Lauren enter the elevator along with a bunch of confused guards. In the elevator, Becky pulls out a mirror and starts to touch up her makeup. Lauren side-eyes the guards as they start to reach for their weapons. She especially glares at one guard, who quickly gets off once the elevator stops._

Lauren- Anyone else?

_The guards don't move as the doors close. Lauren cracks her knuckles._

Lauren- Okay then.

_In a flash, one guard is already knocked out and the other three are swarming Lauren. The fight rages around Becky as she hums to herself, Lauren wrenching a railing from the side of the elevator and battering the guards with it. When it's all over, Becky snaps her mirror shut to reveal a panting Lauren in front of her. Becky grins._

Becky- That was alright.

_Lauren rolls her eyes._

Lauren- Alright?

Becky- You made me smudge my foundation a little bit.

_They arrive at the roof, exiting the elevator only to immediately be confronted by half a dozen guards._

Guard 1- End of the line.

_Becky raises an eyebrow. Suddenly, the guard's legs are pulled out from under him. The other guards all turn around to see Charlie standing confidently. Karasu leaps up beside him._

Guard 2- Get them!

_The guards charge, and Charlie and Karasu fight like a well-oiled machine, Karasu flipping over and under Charlie as they take out all the guards with ease. They're a bit breathless as the fight ends, and Karasu looks up at Charlie. Charlie hesitates, but offers a smile and a nod. They grip hands and bump up against each other before looking towards Becky and Lauren._

Becky- Well done, you two!

Lauren- Oh, so _they_ get a well done?

Becky- Never had you pinned as the petty type, Lauren.

Lauren- I'm _not,_ you-

Charlie- Ladies, ladies. Can we resume this little cat fight after we deal with this?

_Becky strolls past all of them, and Lauren punches Charlie hard in the arm. They all enter an ornate room, throwing open the door to reveal Mr. Liev in the process of leaving._

Mr. Liev- Um…

Lauren- You can sit down, thanks.

_Reluctantly, Mr. Liev slinks back to his seat._

Mr. Liev- So I was funding some rebellious students and trying to delete the compromising information you had on me! So what? Can you blame a man for trying to escape my current situation.

Becky- James and Will never released you from our current deal.

Mr. Liev- I took their hotel room _one_ time.

_Karasu leans over and whispers to Charlie._

Karasu- Is that really all he did?

Charlie- I don't know. Forrester people are really petty.

Becky- This situation has made it clear that your current arrangement with Forrester will never work out as long as you continue trying to break your yoke.

_Mr. Liev grins triumphantly._

Mr. Liev- Precisely. With my resources, there's nothing you can do to stop me.

Becky- What resources?

Mr. Liev- Excuse me?

Lauren- Ugh, don't ask her to clarify. She's gonna jump into some speech and-

_Becky holds up a hand as she strikes a dramatic pose._

Becky- I devised a plan to keep you under James and Will's thumb and prevent you from rebelling in the future! You see, I'm sure you would have eventually stolen the paper copies of the incriminating information on you, but luckily we never gave you the chance. So I faxed those files to numerous rival companies of yours, and now they're common knowledge.

_Mr. Liev almost falls out of his chair._

Mr. Liev- What?! H-how?!

Becky- Turns out people don't care where information comes from as long as it benefits them. As we speak, most of your assets are being seized by the government under suspicion of illegal collaboration with foreign powers. It'll probably be divvied up amongst your rivals.

Mr. Liev- Y-you can't! You need my technology!  


Becky- You're _so_ right. That's why I gave away the information on one condition… they allow you to keep one factory.

_Mr. Liev realizes._

Mr. Liev- The one in Ashmount…

Becky- Precisely. And with your new reputation, this whole town will be unwilling to buy your products. The schools are now your primary and only customers, Mr. Liev.

_Mr. Liev starts to shake._

Becky- Oh, don't cry. I'm sure you'll rebuild over time. If you're extra good, maybe James and Will can allocate some resources to help your with your public image. But until then…

_Becky leans in, relishing every word._

Becky- _We own you_.

_Mr. Liev buries his face in his hands, and Becky turns cheerfully to the others._

Becky- Well, I think that sorts that out. Let's go!

_Becky skips out giddily, and the others follow her, slightly bemused._

Lauren- I'll admit… that was kind of awesome.

_A pause._

Becky- Thank you.

Lauren- Oh, I thought you didn't care about the opinions of stupid people.

_Becky rolls her eyes._

Becky- Did I say that? I'll take compliments, wherever they come from.

Charlie- Oh, by the way, Becky, Amaru says he's been texting you and he hasn't-

Becky- Ugh, that guy? Can you _please_ tell him to stop inviting me to picnics.

Charlie- Me? I can't tell him that!  


Karasu- It'll break his heart!

_Becky teasingly flicks Charlie's shoulder._

Becky- _You're_ decent, though, Valley boy.

_Karasu shoves themselves between Becky and Charlie._

Karasu- We don't date _foreigners._

Charlie- Karasu…

Karasu- Right, right, we're trying to be more open.

Charlie- Right. We date foreigners, we just don't date crazy poison ladies.

Becky- Hey!  


_They all laugh as they walk back to the elevator._

_End episode._


	55. Rule the School S3E6

**Episode Six: Price of Admission**

Synopsis: Hannah gets a visit from an old friend, James tries to sell weapons to the Valley, and Will takes Charlotte party-hopping.

_We open on Hannah and AJ walking up the stairs to the Forrester courtyard._

Hannah- We're still on for next Tuesday, right?

AJ- Oh, yeah! I have literally nothing else going on in my life.

Hannah- So… what kind of movie do you want to watch?

_AJ's eyes go wide, and we zoom in on his face as numbers swirl around the screen._

AJ (internal monologue)- Oh, god… I have to get this right.

AJ- Um…

_Hannah looks at him expectedly._

AJ- We could watch… a romance?

_A negative-sounding buzzer rings as Hannah's face sours._

Hannah- Um… sure, if you want.

_AJ quickly realizes his mistake._

AJ- Wait, no, no! We can totally watch something else! What do you like?

Hannah- Well, I did just rent the full _Tales of Zespera_ collection.

AJ- The epic fantasy action adventure phenomenon that's an underrated gem from the early 2000s? You're into Zespera?!

_Hannah laughs._

Hannah- Who isn't?

_AJ gets a big, dopey smile on his face._

AJ (internal monologue)- She's perfect…

_Slow motion as Hannah tosses her hair over her shoulders and talks. AJ just nods along, not really listening. It suddenly cuts out when Hannah flicks his face._

Hannah- AJ!  


AJ- Yeah?! What?

Hannah- I _said_ , who's your favorite Zesperian-

James- HALT!

_Hannah and AJ jump from shock as they turn to see James standing with several Forrester soldiers._

AJ and Hannah- Gah!

James- You two were followed to school!

Hannah- What?

James- The spies we assigned to you saw an enemy trailing you, AJ!

AJ- Wait… you have spies assigned to me?

James- Yeah, yeah, yeah. To be fair, you _did_ betray me twice.

Hannah- Um, no! One of those times we were framed by Constance.

James- Whatever, that's not important. The point is-

Lauren- AAAAAHHHHHH!

_Lauren kicks aside several soldiers, wielding two paintball pistols._

Lauren- Where's the enemy!?

_AJ and Hannah quickly move out of the way._

AJ- Not us!

_Lauren narrows her eyes._

Lauren- Disappointing…

James- There!  


_He point at the stairs as a figure starts to rise up. The soldiers all aim their paintball rifles until Sterling Price walks up, smirking. Hannah's eyes widen._

James- _Sterling Price._

Sterling- Oh, _James_. You really didn't have to roll out the whole welcome mat for little old me.

_He starts to speak again but is interrupted when Lauren shoots him in the face with a paintball._

Sterling- Argh! _Right_ by the eye, really?

_He composes himself and looks at Lauren, who shrugs._

Lauren- What?

Sterling- You can't just shoot me for no reason!  


Lauren- Sure I can. I do it all the time!  


Sterling- That is _abuse_ of _authority_!  


Lauren- We're kids, they're paintballs. Walk it off.

James- Now that we're done with that, can we please get Mr. Price in a cell?

Sterling- Hold on, hold on! You can't imprison an innocent student!

James- You're not a-

Sterling, Oh, yes I am. I attend Forrester now.

_Hannah is still a bit shocked, but manages to speak._

Hannah- W-what?

_Sterling's eyes finally turn to her._

Sterling- Why, I thought you'd be happy, Hannah! You must have been _so_ lost without my guiding presence.

_Hannah grits her teeth but says nothing. AJ jumps up right in front of her._

AJ- Hey! You don't get to talk to her!

_He turns to James._

AJ- You can't let Sterling go here! Remember what happened _last_ time we let him roam free around Forrester?

_James is thinking._

James- AJ, think about this practically. Will and I have sort of been trying to rebrand lately. Less 'iron fist,' more 'benevolent dictator.' Showing mercy to one of our old enemies could be great PR.

Sterling- Sounds like a win-win to me!

AJ- James!

_James looks over at Hannah, who has remained quiet._

James- Hannah, you've had more experience with Sterling. Do you think he'll be dangerous if we keep him under constant surveillance?

_Hannah hesitates._

Hannah- N-no. He's pathetic on his own.

Sterling- _Rude_.

James- Seems like that's settled, then! Sterling, make sure to pose for the camera crews when they come by. Oh, and if you say anything bad about Will and I, we'll imprison you until graduation!

Sterling- Sounds superb!  


_He walks by all of them, grinning. He slows down as he passes Hannah._

Sterling- See you after school.

_Hannah looks down, and he walks away. Lauren shrugs and heads off. AJ immediately explodes at James._

AJ- Are you kidding me, James!? How could you do that!? Didn't you _even_ consider how Hannah might feel?

Hannah- I'm fine.

AJ- Not to mention how dumb it is that you're doing this _just_ for PR. I can't-

Hannah- I _said_ , I'm fine.

_AJ turns around, startled._

AJ- What? Hannah, you don't have to-

Hannah- I know. Trust me, I love objecting to James' stupid decisions just as much as anyone, but I'm serious. It's fine.

AJ- B-but-

James- See, everything's great!

_He gestures to some of the soldiers._

James- You all, watch our new student for me. Make sure he doesn't go near any high-ranking students.

_The guards exit, and James turns to AJ and Hannah._

James- See? You won't even have to lay eyes on him!

AJ- Argh! Come on, Hannah!

_He storms off, and Hannah follows him. James clicks his fingers and Becky walks out from the school, holding a giant stack of papers._

Becky- I got those papers you asked for.

James- Good. Go shred them.

_Becky rolls her eyes._

Becky- Better idea.

_She tosses the stack of papers up in the air, pulling out a vial of acid and pouring it on the ground. The papers land and are instantly dissolved._

James- That works.

Becky- Can I _please_ go take a break now?

James- Not quite, Becks. You're coming with me to the Valley!

_Becky groans._

Becky- Whyyyyyyy? What are we even doing there?

James- Filling the school treasury, that's what we're doing!

_He pulls a rack of assorted paintball guns from offscreen._

James- Let's sell some weapons!

Becky- Why don't you take Will instead? Make it some sort of disgusting couples thing?

James- He's not here. He has his early afternoon teatime with Charlotte today.

Becky- What, so we're just leaving Forrester in the hands of AJ, Hannah, and Lauren for the day?

James- The whole _point_ of creating a complex bureaucracy was so I could take a break every now and then.

Becky- Ugh. I'm running out of excuses.

James- Sounds like a yes to me!

_We cut to Will and Charlotte walking around the balconies of Woodsworth._

Charlotte- Okay. We each drank tea and exchanged unbearable pleasantries. You can go now.

Will- You're not getting rid of me that quickly, Char.

_He dodges a kick from her as he fixes his hair._

Will- I have to see what you've been up to around here! You _are_ still technically on our payroll.

Charlotte- You guys give pay? That's news to me.

Will- Your payment is the satisfaction of a job well done.

Charlotte- I'm joining a union.

Will- James hates unions.

Charlotte- Even better.

Will- Whatever. Show me what you've got around here! You had Mr. Liev make you that cool thing, right?

_Charlotte rolls her eyes and point over the balcony at an electronic device attached to the ceiling. It has a satellite dish-like apparatus that rotates around, beeping._

Charlotte- Behold. It lets me monitor every student's electronic activity. If I wanted to, I could shut down all communications to and from Woodsworth.

Will- Ooh! Show me, show me!

_Charlotte groans loudly and shoves Will into her office, clicking at her keyboard until a window showing every student's phone opens._

Charlotte- Here it is. Isn't it absolutely incredible?

Will- Woah! I don't understand it, but there's a lot of bright lights and colors!

Charlotte- How are you my boss?

Will- It's called charisma, honey.

Charlotte- Anyway-

Will- Hold up!  


_He narrows his eyes, jabbing his finger at a point on the screen._

Will- It says right here that everyone's getting ready for Kylie's party tonight?! Why aren't you dressed for the occasion?

_A brief flicker of confusion passes over Charlotte's face._

Charlotte- I… I don't know about any party?

_Will gasps and falls out of his chair dramatically, quickly scrambling to his feet._

Will- Say _what_ now? You weren't invited?!

Charlotte- I mean, I don't care. It's…

_She trails off as she notices a determined expression on Will's face._

Charlotte- Oh, no…

Will- Charlotte, how can you be a leader without also being the most popular girl in school?

Charlotte- You're telling me you and James get invited to a lot of parties?

Will- Well, I know I do. James doesn't like to keep score. He's afraid that I'm more popular than him.

Charlotte- I don't need popularity. I just need obedience.

Will- Ugh, did we teach you _anything_ about leadership?

Charlotte- Not really, no!

Will- Whatever! We're going party hopping! You're going to get the authentic social experience.

Charlotte- There is no-

Will- That's an order.

_Charlotte falls silent, giving Will a disgusted look. Undeterred, he grabs her arm and pulls her out of the office excitedly. We cut to James and Becky struggling to carry the giant rack of paintball guns up the stairs._

James- Almost… got it…

Becky- You have noodle arms.

_She shoves the rack, and it runs over James. She dusts off her hands and makes sure to step on James as she walks up to the courtyard._

James- Ow…

Becky- Whoops.

_James stands up._

James- I'm your boss, you know. I could have you _fired_.

Becky- Good luck finding someone else willing to do all your paperwork. I just happen to have a strong desire to climb the corporate ladder.

James- Maybe next month, we'll start giving you healthcare.

Becky- You better.

_A voice bellows from offscreen._

Amaru- Friends!  


_James and Becky turn to see Charlie, Lupa, Karasu, and Amaru walking out from the doors of the school. James quickly straightens his hair._

James- Good to see you all, good to see you all.

_He offers a handshake, but receives a hard slap on the back from Charlie._

Charlie- James! Finally decided to visit the Valley?

Karasu- Charlie, you've only been back here for, like, a week.

_Amaru notices Becky and his eyes go wide._

Amaru- The poison maiden returns!

_He falls to his knees, offering up a vial of poison._

Amaru- For you, my lady.

_Becky grabs it and chugs it, disinterested._

Becky- Could use a little arsenic.

Amaru- You're _so_ right. I'll get right on that.

_Becky gets bored of him and looks over to Lupa._

Becky- He's boring. Who are you?

_Lupa looks up from her nails, sneering._

Lupa- You're saying you haven't heard of me?

_Becky smirks._

Becky- Must not be that important.

_They glare at each other for a second, then Lupa breaks away, laughing._

Lupa- You're fun! I like you, intern.

_Now Becky's the indignant one._

Becky- I have a _name_.

Lupa- Oh?

_Becky knows what she's about to say._

Lupa- Must not be that important.

_Becky fingers her dart gun before James steps between the two girls._

James- _Ahem_. Leaders of the Valley, _these_ are the real reason we're here.

_He points to the weapons, and Charlie pouts._

Charlie- And here I thought you were just here for my excellent company.

Karasu- Hold on… are those… guns?

James- Sharp eye, I see.

_All the Valley leaders' expression sour and they click their fingers. Various soldiers march out, raising their weapons._

Lupa- You really just waltzed in here and _defiled_ the Valley with _those_?

James- Hold on, we just want to-

Becky- It was his idea.

Karasu- Guys, it's fine. I can break his legs in six different ways and his neck in three.

Amaru- Painless?

Karasu- If you want to be boring.

Amaru- Hm…

_Amaru considers it before Charlie interrupts._

Charlie- Y'all, maybe we're being a bit too harsh here. I'm sure James has a _very_ good reason for bringing these guns to the Valley.

_He gives James a look, and James looks a bit nervous. We quickly cut to James and Becky standing by the rack of weapons inside the school as the Valley leaders look on, not amused._

James- These weapons are just what you need to really bolster the defense of the Valley. No more archaic medieval weapons, these are your future! Don't just take it from me, though, take it from a satisfied customer!  


_He points at Becky, who looks up from her phone. James coughs and Becky forces a smile._

Becky- My dart gun is my most treasured possession! Of course, it's my most treasured possession in that it's the only thing of value I own that Forrester hasn't seized from my possession. But still… I love it.

_A weak cat noise dies in James' throat as Karasu appears behind._

Karasu- So we're all sold on me breaking his legs?

Becky- Sure, just don't injure his wallet. Apparently I might be getting paid soon.

James- Not if you _let them break my legs_.

Charlie- That's enough, Su.

_He grabs Karasu with the ribbon and pulls them back to the other Valley leaders. Karasu brushes him off._

Karasu- I _never_ get to break people's legs.

Lupa- You broke your own leg that one time.

Karasu- We don't talk about that!

_Amaru laughs, then faces James._

Amaru- You really think _we_ need new weapons? We were known for our military long ago, and we've always taken pride in our mastery of the medieval. Frankly, your offers are a bit insulting.

James- B-but I didn't even mention the discount you'd get on the price!

Charlie- Wait… you want us to pay _money_ for these?

James- Well, yeah. What did you think I wanted?

Charlie- Um, to offer us your misguided gift out of the goodness of your soul. Will was right, Orwick. You're cold.

James- I just… wait. Will talks to you about me.

Charlie- I have, like, five hundred texts from him in the past week.

James- Why is he talking to _you_? He has plenty of friends that are girls!

Charlie- Ugh, and now you're getting jealous and possessive. Heard about that too.

James- I am not! I just don't want Will talking to hot guys without telling me!

Charlie- Oh, so you think I'm-

Becky- _Please stop._

_Everyone turns to Becky._

Becky- Why don't you guys at least test the stupid guns to see if they're good.

_A pause, then Charlie groans._

Charlie- Fine. But only because he called me hot.

Karasu- Don't fall for their flattery!

Charlie- Oh, _someone's_ jealous.

_Karasu socks Charlie in the shoulder, and he laughs. We cut to Lupa and Amaru awkwardly holding large guns._

Lupa- Ugh, this feels so weird.

Amaru- Think positive. This can't be _that_ different from a bow, right?

_James and Becky stand to the side._

Becky- You're welcome for suggesting this.

James- Will talks to _Charlie_ about me…

Becky- Ugh, please shut up.

_James shakes himself out of it._

James- I'm fine, I'm fine.

_He looks to the other side of the room, where Charlie and Karasu are wielding their usual weapons._

James- The guns will prevail over those two, and they'll see that they should give me their money! It's perfect.

_Becky rolls her eyes._

Becky- Uh-huh. Let me know how that one works out.

_Charlie cracks his knuckles, grinning._

Charlie- Fancy-schmancy technology won't save y'all. Ready, Su?

Karasu- I don't answer to that name.

Charlie- I'll take that as a yes.

Karasu- Why are we even entertaining this?

Charlie- If we don't at least try this, then James will _never_ call me hot again!

Karasu- Ugh. Can we make this quick?

_Lupa and Amaru heft their guns._

Lupa- Even with these stupid things, there's no way we're losing to you!

Amaru- Come at us!

_Karasu and Charlie look at each other, grinning. Then they burst into action, rushing towards the other two. Lupa and Amaru try to fire the guns, but they don't know how to wield them and miss._

Lupa- Ugh! Useless!

_She futilely tries to swipe at Charlie with the butt of the gun, but he wraps his ribbon around her leg and quickly pulls it out from under her. Karasu is swiftly able to kick the gun out of Amaru's hand, and as he tries to catch it, they leap on top of him, pinning him to the ground. In a couple of seconds, it's over. Charlie gives a smug smirk as he and Karasu walk away. Amaru and Lupa grumble and toss aside their weapons._

Lupa- That doesn't count as a real win! We were using the stupid weapons brought to us by the stupid person!

James- Wait… which one of us is stupid?

Becky- I'm honestly offended that you had to ask that.

Charlie- Sorry, Jamie, but some things just don't work out. Feel free to stick around, though.

_The four Valley leaders walk out, and James begins to think. Becky groans._

Becky- I know that look. Please don't-

James- I've got a plan.

Becky- Uuuuuuuuuuugh.

_We cut to Sterling walking down the hallways at Forrester, doing cheesy finger guns and grinning at every student he passes. He winks at a group of students._

Sterling- Good to be back, Forrester!  


_He grabs the nearest student and pulls him into an impromptu dance, eventually twirling him directly into a wall._

Sterling- My bad!

_We see AJ, Lauren, and Hannah following Sterling from a distance. Hannah has her head down, and AJ is fuming._

AJ- Argh! Who does he think he is, waltzing around our school like he owns it?!

Lauren- I just want to punch him directly in the face.

Hannah- He hasn't done anything yet, though…

_AJ and Lauren turn around to face Hannah._

AJ- What?

Lauren- Also, I don't need a reason to punch him.

Hannah- I'm just saying, if he leaves us alone… what's the problem?

_Sterling throws open a classroom door, and a dramatic gust of wind blows in after him. He enters the classroom, throwing a smirk behind him at AJ. AJ fumes even more._

AJ- He is the _worst_! Right, Hannah?

_He turns around, but Hannah is already walking down the hallway. AJ tugs on Lauren._

AJ- Lauren, Lauren!

Lauren- _What?_

AJ- What's going on with Hannah? She's been so weird. But not, like, the kind of weird she should be now that Sterling's back. A bad weird.

_Lauren stares at him blankly._

Lauren- I'm sorry, can you phrase your question in the form of a punch?

_AJ lightly punches Lauren in the shoulder and her eyes light up._

Lauren- Oh, I get it! Also, I have no idea.

AJ- Ugh! Whatever, at least we won't have to see his stupid face all day.

_We quickly speed through the rest of the school day. AJ and Hannah go together to some classes and do work in the office. AJ catches quick glimpses of Sterling in the hallways, but Sterling ignores him in favor of charming nearby students. Finally, the last bell rings, and we see AJ, Hannah, and Lauren walking down the stairs._

Lauren- Welp, that was an uneventful day. You guys wanna go to dinner?

AJ- Sure! I'd love to!

Hannah- I…I can't.

_Lauren makes a halfhearted attempt to act disappointed._

Lauren- Oh, no. That's like… really sad.

AJ- Why not, Hannah?

_Hannah is texting something on her phone._

Hannah- I've got plans, ok?

_In a sudden action, AJ grabs her phone._

Hannah- Hey!

_AJ's eyes widen._

AJ- You're meeting _him_?!

_Hannah grabs back her phone._

Hannah- Why do you care? I can make my own decisions!

AJ- He's _Sterling_. He was awful to you!  


_Hannah takes a deep breath._

Hannah- I wouldn't accept this invitation if I didn't want to. Just trust that I can handle myself.

_She places a comforting hand on AJ's shoulder before walking away. Lauren shrugs and starts to walk away, but AJ grabs her arm._

Lauren- I really hope you don't expect me to get dinner with you. I was planning on ditching you and Hannah the first chance I got.

AJ- You have to help me spy on Hannah and Sterling! He's clearly manipulating her.

Lauren- Look, AJ. I get where you're coming from or whatever, but this is none of my-

AJ- You might get to punch Sterling!

_Lauren is already strapping on her helmet and getting on a motorcycle that was not there before. She looks back at AJ._

Lauren- Get on.

_AJ nods firmly, hopping on behind Lauren and strapping on the helmet she hands him. We cut to Will and Charlotte getting out of a car. Will is dressed in a leather jacket, jeans, and a casual t-shirt. Charlotte looks a little uncomfortable in a light blue tennis skirt and a white spaghetti strap top. Will narrows his eyes at her_

Will- Hm… may I?

Charlotte- Do what you want. I'm already dead at this point.

_Will messes up Charlotte's hair a little bit, and she grumbles._

Charlotte- Ugh, is that necessary?

Will- Trust me, Charlotte. You want to give off chill and messy vibes at a party.

Charlotte- How do you even have time to go to so many parties? Don't you have _any_ actual responsibilities?

Will- That's the joy of party hopping! You can just go in for five minutes, make an unforgettable impact, then leave before you mess it up.

_Charlotte sighs._

Charlotte- Whatever you say.

_Will and Charlotte walk up to the door of the party. Charlotte goes to knock, and Will pushes her hand down._

Will- Uh, you never knock at a party. The door should _always_ be unlocked.

_He opens up the door, and gestures in. Charlotte slowly walks in, her hands fidgeting at her sides._

Will- You ready for a party?

_Charlotte actually looks a bit nervous, but she turns around to face Will, stone-faced._

Charlotte- I fought a war. I can handle a party.

Will- Ah, my little social butterfly!  


Charlotte- Don't make me punch you.

Will- Just go introduce yourself to the host!

_He points to a guy standing in the corner and pulls Charlotte over to him._

Will- Hiro, you know Charlotte, right?

_The host (Hiro), glances at Charlotte._

Hiro- Um, yeah… I think so. You're that leader girl from Woodsworth, right?

_Charlotte grits her teeth, looking from side to side._

Charlotte- Yep… that's me.

Hiro- Well, enjoy the party, I guess.

_He walks away, and Will smiles at Charlotte._

Will- That was so great! I'm loving this for you!

Charlotte- I think I recognized that guy…

Will- So you already have a friend! In that, case I'm gonna go and hang out with some other folks.

Charlotte- Will, wait. I-

_He's already gone, however, and Charlotte's left alone, awkwardly standing as people shuffle around her. Her eyes dart around the room, clearly anxious, until she sees Hiro again. She looks at her phone and her eyes narrow._

Charlotte (internal monologue)- That's where I know him from! He was one of the Whisperer's military commanders!

_We cut to Will laughing and talking with a group of party-goers._

Will- And I had to sing a whole musical number to affirm my love!

_Everyone laughs, then another student runs in._

Student- Hey, where's Hiro? I can't find him anywhere!

_A bloodcurdling scream echoes from upstairs, and Will glances around._

Will- Wait… where's Charlotte.

_Hard cut to Will opening the door, revealing Charlotte repeatedly punching Hiro in the stomach as he's tied to a chair._

Charlotte- Talk! Are you a spy?

Hiro- No, no!  


Charlotte- Don't make me cut off your-

Will- Charlotte!

_Charlotte slowly turns around._

Charlotte- I'm kind of in the middle of something.

_More party-goers show up behind Will and gasp._

Charlotte- Is this… _not_ proper party protocol.

_Will slowly shakes his head, his mouth hanging open._

Charlotte- Well, I've made my impact. Time to go?

_Will quickly nods, beckoning Charlotte as they quickly run out of the house, followed by a crowd of yelling students. Will gets in the car and quickly drives away. Charlotte picks at her hair._

Charlotte- Well, um… I feel like that was a pretty good first try.

_Will takes a deep breath._

Will- That was the most abhorrent attempt at partying I've ever seen. You don't interrogate the host!

Charlotte- Not even if he's a spy?

Will- Keep that stuff at school, Charlotte!  


_He sighs._

Will- No worries, though. The night is still young.

Charlotte- How is this timeline even working out? Isn't James doing his thing during school hours?

Will- Oh, what is multiple time periods in an episode too much for your brain to handle?

_Charlotte prepares to punch Will, but he holds up a finger._

Will- Ah-ah-ah! I'm driving.

_Charlotte reluctantly lowers her arm._

Charlotte- How many more parties do we have to go to?

Will- As many as it takes for you to start behaving properly.

_We go through rapid short scenes of Will at various parties. In the first, he's talking to someone when another student runs up._

Student- There's some girl outside waterboarding Katherine!

Will- Charlotte!

_Will's at a new party doing a handstand when he hears a yell from outside._

Voice (Offscreen)- Who's that dangling Brad from the roof!?

_Will falls down._

Will- Charlotte!

_Will is playing Twister when he hears muffled screams. He turns to see Charlotte carrying a bound student to the fireplace._

Will- Charlotte!

Charlotte- Yeah, what's up?

_Will groans as everyone playing Twister collapses on top of him._

Will- If I weren't always right, I'd say I'm starting to regret this.

_We cut to James and Becky walking up to meet Charlie, Amaru, Karasu, and Lupa in Maple Valley._

Charlie- Where have y'all been? The pizza rolls got cold!  


James- You guys made pizza rolls?

Amaru- Of course, I'd be willing to heat them up again for the lovely lady.

_Becky stabs a syringe into Amaru's shoulder, to no effect. She raises her eyebrows._

Becky- You're immune?

Amaru- Not to your charms.

_Becky smiles before stabbing another syringe into Amaru's other shoulder, causing him to pass out. Her smile fades to look of disdain._

Becky- Ew. Lame.

Karasu- Did you just knock Amaru unconscious?

Becky- Yeah, what about it.

_A pause._

Karasu- How are we not best friends?

James- Ahem!

Becky- Oh, right. Look over there!  


_Everyone turns around to see a bunch of soldiers with paintball guns and masks rushing in and aiming at the group._

James- Whaaaat? It looks like we're being attacked by soldiers with _guns_. But we don't have any to defend ourselves!

_The Valley leaders immediately pick up their weapons and go to fight the soldiers. James pulls the cart of guns into frame._

James- Luckily, for just seven dollars apiece, you can have-

Lupa- Done.

James- They're totally decked out with… wait, what?

_He looks to see that all the soldiers are on the ground, unconscious._

Charlie- It wasn't even hard.

_Becky snorts, and James shoots her a dirty look._

Karasu- Now let's take out these masks and see what school these-

James- I'LL TAKE THEM AWAY! I LOVE HELPING.

_James runs over, shoving all the unconscious soldiers out of the room and slamming the door._

Becky- Well, we really should be going.

James- _Actually,_ I think we have a little more time.

_Becky rubs her forehead, gritting her teeth._

Becky- _You're the boss_.

_We go through a series of sabotage attempts by James. We see him eating with the Valley Leaders when he suddenly stands up._

James- Did you guys know that Becky is an expert at polishing weapons? Here, give me them and she'll make them clean!  


_He snatches all their weapons from them and hands them to Becky, who walks away._

Amaru- But our weapons are made of foam, how will she-

James- LOOK OVER THERE.

_More masked soldiers enter, and James again pulls the rack of guns from nowhere._

James- Never fear, I have everything we need to-

_Yells and groans echo from offscreen and James turns to see that the soldiers have been knocked out, the Valley leaders standing over them with their fists raised._

Karasu- Whew, that felt _nice_.

_James makes a strangled sound. Next, we see James, Becky, and the Valley leaders walking in the hallways when a barrage of paintballs hits the ground near them. They look up to see masked soldiers on the floor above them._

James- Oh, no! They're above us! There's no way we can-

_Lupa grabs a nearby chair and chucks it up, knocking out the guards._

Lupa- How many of these soldiers are there?

_James grits his teeth and whispers under his breath._

James- Not enough, clearly.

_We see James tied up in a chair, making a dramatically woeful expression as masked soldiers surround him. The others walk in and see him._

James- Oh, the indignity! Everyone, save me!

_The Valley leaders start to draw their weapons, but the masked soldiers aim their weapons._

James- Your weapons are obsolete! If only there were some chic and reliable guns that you can buy for only six dollars each!

_Becky pulls out the rack of guns, clearly disinterested._

Becky- Wow, here they are.

_Charlie looks at one of the guns and picks it up. James' eyes light up until Charlie throws the gun at one of the soldiers, knocking her out. Lupa, Amaru, and Karasu follow suit, knocking all the soldiers unconscious. James' smile fades into a look of shock as he is untied. We cut to him pacing around in a room in front of a bored Becky._

Becky- _Please_ tell me you're ready to give up.

James- Of course not! Nothing has worked so far because they haven't been in any real danger.

Becky- I mean, you tried to put them in real danger. You just severely underestimated them.

James- Irrelevant!

Becky- Well, how are you gonna put them in _real danger_?

James- I'm _so_ glad you-

Becky- Why did I even ask?

_We cut to James leading Lupa into a small room._

Lupa- Where's your friend?

James- First of all, she's not my friend. Second, she got bored and left.

Lupa- Whatever. Let's get back to the others. You're not exactly riveting company.

James- Rude!

_Lupa snaps her fingers._

Lupa- I only speak truth, child!

James- Hey, what's that!?

Lupa- Ugh, that’s like the fifth time-

_Before she can finish her sentence, she is hit in the neck by a poison dart and falls to the ground, unconscious. Several masked soldiers, including one dressed suspiciously like Becky, step forward and pick up Lupa._

James- Take her to the forest.

Becky- I would like to once again say how useless this endeavor is.

James- Hey, who puts money into your wallet?

Becky- Um, not you.

James- You will get a promotion if you help me do this, okay!?

_Becky is already dragging Lupa out of the school single-handedly._

James- Godspeed.

_We cut to Hannah getting out of a car and walking into a restaurant. As she walks in, AJ and Lauren rise up from a nearby bush._

AJ- She's meeting him at a _restaurant_?

Lauren- Not that I care, but don't you think this is a little creepy?

AJ- What we're doing? We're protecting her! Now come on, we have to hear what they're saying!

_We see Hannah sitting down at a table, Sterling is waiting._

Sterling- Ah, Hannah! Good to see you, darling!

_Hannah sighs._

Hannah- Let's make this brief.

_At the table next to them, AJ and Lauren lower menus from in front of their faces to peek at them._

Sterling- Honestly, I'm wounded. I thought you'd be happy to see me.

Hannah- Why are you back in Ashmount?

Sterling- Cutting right to the chase, are we? My, you _have_ changed since I've been away.

Hannah- A lot can happen when _you're_ not around.

Sterling- Anyway, I did try to go back home, stay with my grandmother for a bit. Unfortunately, all my assets dried up. Casement's Ring, the Bronze Hexagon, none of them came through for me despite my impressive credentials.

Hannah- What credentials? Running a school of idiots for a couple years.

Sterling- I'll pretend I didn't hear that.

Hannah- So you came back here why? You thought you could just take down James and Will's entire government alone?

_Sterling narrows his eyes._

Sterling- I've booked us a private room. Just in case someone's listening in on us.

_He gets up and gestures to a door. Hannah rolls her eyes._

Hannah- Like anyone wants to listen to what you're saying.

_She follows him into the room, and AJ throws down his menu._

AJ- We have to go listen to what he's saying!  


Lauren- I have not gotten to punch a _single_ person yet.

AJ- You will, you will. But we have to make sure Hannah decides to leave first.

Lauren- Um, why?

AJ- Because she needs to make her own decisions.

Lauren- So instead of forcing her, we're going to manipulate her through sabotage?

AJ- Exactly!

_We see two waiters walking to the kitchen. Lauren leaps from behind a corner, quickly knocking both of them out._

AJ- Is that enough punching to satisfy you?

Lauren- For now. But even if we put on these uniforms, how are we gonna prevent them from recognizing us?

AJ- Don't worry, I thought ahead and brought a disguise kit.

_We cut to Lauren walking to Sterling and Hannah's table, wearing a large blue afro wig and dollar sign sunglasses._

Sterling- It's just a proposition.

Hannah- I have more independence under James and Will than I _ever_ had under you.

Sterling- I've changed, darling. It'll all be better this-

Hannah- Oh, waiter, thank goodness you're here. I'd like-

Sterling- We'll have an order of the hors d'oeurve collection for the table.

_Lauren grits her teeth and nods._

Hannah- You look kind of-

Sterling- _Hannah_ , focus on what I'm offering you!

_Lauren quickly walks outside and AJ bursts out of the back of her shirt._

AJ- I take it back! You can go in and punch him right now!

Lauren- Really?

AJ- No, no. It'll just upset Hannah.

_A pause._

AJ- We'll just have to make tonight a bad night.

_We cut to Charlotte and Will exiting his car. Will takes a deep breath, placing his hands on Charlotte's shoulders._

Will- Okay, _clearly_ some changes need to take place this time around.

Charlotte- Um… maybe we could just abandon this party thing for now.

Will- Don't worry, I've planned it all out. These are all homeschooled kids, so you won't have any reason to interrogate them or threaten their lives.

Charlotte- Bold of you to think I need a reason.

_Will ignores her._

Will- Besides, I know a group here. They're all, like, really chill. You'll like them, I promise.

_Charlotte glances to the side, her face betraying a hint of nervousness._

Charlotte- O…okay. One more party.

_Will slams a black wig onto Charlotte._

Will- Also, you have to wear this.

Charlotte- May I ask why?

Will- Word spreads fast. You're now banned from all parties for the next week.

Charlotte- This had better be worth it…

_Will and Charlotte walk up to the door and Charlotte opens it without hesitation._

Will- See, you've learned.

_They head in, Will greeting several people while Charlotte casts her eyes down until they reach a group of goth teens sitting down on a small couch. They are talking to each other, but look up when Will arrives._

Goth Girl- Who are you?

Will- Oh, right.

_He whips some black eyeliner and a spiked choker from his pocket and puts them on, then pulls his hair down over his face._

Goth Girl- Oh, it's Jules!

Charlotte- Jules?

_Will leans over and whispers to her._

Will- I have many masks, Charlotte.

Goth Guy- Who's your friend?

Will- This is Raven. Raven, meet my friends. I think you'll get along.

Charlotte- If they like you, their bar must be pretty low.

_Will makes a sound of offense, but the group of kids turns to Charlotte, intrigued._

Goth Girl- I _love_ that energy. How have we not met before?

_She gestures to the seat next to her, and Charlotte cautiously takes a seat._

Goth Guy- Do you also constantly cringe at the stupidity of others?

Charlotte- Life's so uncomfortable when you're surrounded by idiots.

Goth Girl- But you rarely actually help them, right?

Charlotte- Why would I do that? It's so much more fun to watch them crash and burn.

_The goths begin to chat with Charlotte, and she gives a slight smile. Will grins._

Will- Looks like you're fitting in just fine!

Charlotte- It's not _as_ awful as I thought.

Will- Great! I'll leave you to it!

_Charlotte's smile falters._

Charlotte- W-what?

Will- I've got some people to see! Later!

Charlotte- Will, w-

_He's already gone, however, and Charlotte looks a lot more nervous. We cut to Will talking to various people around the party. He tells them stories, lets them take photos of him, and pulls out a full photo album with candid photos of James. Then we see Charlotte as the goths talk around her. She grips her pants tightly, her eyes darting back and forth as their voices grow louder and louder. We cut to Will lounging in a chair when a yell echoes through the house. His head turns sharply and he quickly runs downstairs. The goth kids are on their phones, and one of the girls points to the door._

Goth Girl- She went outside.

_Will rushes out the door to find Charlotte sitting on the stairs, dejected. He gingerly approaches her and sits down._

Will- Hey…

Charlotte- Just go back in. I don't want to ruin your fun.

Will- Look… I'm sorry I made you keep going. I shouldn't have-

Charlotte- That wasn't the problem, Will!

_Will's eyebrows furrow._

Will- Then what was?

Charlotte- I wasn't completely totally absolutely opposed to the whole party idea, but you just left me alone every time!

Will- I… I didn't know that was a problem for you.

Charlotte- I don't do well with people, Will! But _apparently_ you can't get that in your head even after I've nearly caused the deaths of numerous party-goers.

Will- I just… I never thought you'd have a problem with things like that.

Charlotte- What do you mean?

Will- You're just like so confident all the time, and you're never afraid to say what you mean.

Charlotte- Yeah, to _you guys_. But I don't like to be around people outside of school, especially when I don't have someone I know.

_A pause._

Will- _Aw_. So I'm like, your social rock?

Charlotte- When you put it that way it sounds schmaltzy and gross.

_Will pulls Charlotte up into an unwilling hug._

Charlotte- Abort. Abort. Abort.

Will- I've got an idea.

_He pulls back, whipping out his phone._

Will- Let's have our _own_ party, with just the people we actually like.

Charlotte- I don't like anyone.

Will- _Fine_ , then, the people you tolerate.

_Charlotte pretends to consider it._

Charlotte- I suppose that might be doable.

Will- Yay!  


_He puts an arm around Charlotte's shoulder, leading her away._

Will- And I know you _do_ actually like us.

Charlotte- I have an _image_ to maintain, Will.

_We cut to James, Amaru, Charlie, and Karasu walking through the forest._

Karasu- You're sure you saw them take Lupa? You'd think she could have fought them off.

James- Yeah, it was all so sudden.

Amaru- And you just ran instead of helping her?

James- I think we've established that I'm thoroughly useless in a fight.

_Charlie pats James' arm._

Charlie- I thought I put you through training during the war. Are you telling me that you're not keeping up with the workouts I assigned?

James- I've been kind of busy lately…

Charlie- Guess I'll just have to come over and supervise you personally.

_Charlie winks and James flushes. Karasu elbows Charlie._

Karasu- Can we _please_ focus on getting Lupa back?

Amaru- She must be in such pain right now!

_We cut to Lupa tied to a chair elsewhere in the forest. Becky and some other masked soldiers are standing near her._

Lupa- Ugh, let me go! I'm the protagonist, not the damsel in distress.

Becky- Sadly, the best you'll ever reach is fan-favorite side character.

Lupa- Except in the spinoff!

Becky- The what?

Lupa- Just who are you? Show your face!

Soldier One- Never!

Soldier Two- As if!

Becky- Sure.

_She removes her mask without hesitation._

Lupa- Thought it was you, Becky.

Becky- Good for you. You were able to recognize my voice when I wasn't even trying to disguise it.

Lupa- Hey, consider it a compliment that I even remembered your name.

_A pause._

Lupa- So, what's the gossip at Forrester.

Becky- Ugh, don't get me _started_.

Lupa- Get my notepad out of my pocket. This might make good fodder for my screenplay.

_We cut to James, Karasu, Charlie, and Amaru standing behind trees as paintballs fly past them._

Charlie- How did they know we were coming?

Karasu- Whatever, let's just take them down.

_Karasu climbs up a tree then leaps down on a group of masked soldiers, swiftly dispatching all of them._

Charlie- Woah…

_He runs into battle as well, followed by Amaru._

Charlie- Come on, James! Team bonding exercise!

James- What? You know I can't-

_Charlie's ribbon wraps around James' waist and pulls him out of cover._

James- Agh!

_He fumbles in his pocket, pulling out a small paintball pistol. Before he can fire it, Charlie yanks it out of his hand with the ribbon._

James- Charlie!

Charlie- We're doing this Valley style! Amaru?

_Amaru pulls out a radio from his fanny pack and starts playing a song. Charlie pulls James towards him into a dip._

Charlie- Just let _me_ handle the how, Orwick.

James- I think I should text Will before this.

_Charlie engages in a battle dance, spinning James around and using his body as a weapon to knock enemies out. Karasu and Amaru join in, and they end by striking a group pose._

Karasu- I'm just saying, _my_ body would have made a perfectly good instrument of bludgeoning.

Amaru- What, are you jealous of James?

_James and Karasu both flush._

James- Why would they be _jealous_ of _me_?

Karasu- Why would I be _jealous_ of _him_?

Charlie- No need to fight. There's enough Notch to go around. Now let's-

_Charlie's legs are suddenly pulled out from under him and he is dragged forwards. Everyone else's eyes follow him to see one more masked soldier wielding a whip and a large paintball gun._

Amaru and Karasu- Charlie!

_James' eyes narrow and he pulls the cart of guns out from behind a tree that it would definitely not fit behind. He pulls one out and tosses it to Charlie._

James- Notch!

_The gun flies in slow motion, and Charlie grabs it as he's being dragged towards the last soldier. The soldier points his gun downwards only for Charlie to shoot him with multiple paintballs right in the chest. He staggers back, and Charlie kicks him in the stomach and leaps to his feet, kneeing his head and knocking him out. The other three quickly run up to him._

Charlie- Feels weird to be on the _other_ side of the whip.

Karasu- Now you know how _we_ feel when you drag us across the floor.

Charlie- I said it felt weird. I didn't say it felt bad.

James- So… a gun saved your life?

Charlie- Maybe your gizmos aren't _entirely_ useless.

James- So, you feel like buying them for the low, low price of five dollars each?

_Charlie rolls his eyes._

Charlie- The one time you decide to visit the Valley since the war, and it's to sell something? Why don't you ever come around for fun.

James- I don't know the meaning of the word.

_Charlie nudges Amaru and Karasu._

Karasu- Yeah, you're totally welcome here or whatever.

Amaru- Just _please_ don't bring any guns next time.

James- Are you saying that even after my gun saved your life, you've got no interest?

Charlie- I promise you that we'll give it about ten seconds of consideration after you leave.

James- Fine, but I'll be back next-

_He freezes as they walk through a wall of vines to see Lupa and Becky chatting._

Lupa- You really think you can rise up under such a hierarchical system? You need to lead the populace in a revolt against James!

_Becky nods until she notices James._

Becky- Oh… hey, James.

Charlie- Becky… _you_ captured Lupa?

James- You all, I can explain!  


Becky- He really can't.

_James makes a couple odd noises before giving up._

James- What if I lowered the price to three dollars per gun?

_Karasu looks to Charlie._

Charlie- No broken bones, okay?

Karasu- I'll work around them.

_We cut to a wide shot of the forest as we hear James scream. Then we cut to James, Becky, and the Valley leaders walking back towards Maple Valley as smoke billows behind them. Becky is propping James up._

James- Did you _have_ to burn all those guns? I could have sold them to someone else.

Charlie- James, you've committed _grievous_ crimes against the Valley by kidnapping Lupa.

Lupa- It really wasn't that-

Charlie- Shush! As reparation for your insult to our school, you'll have to…

_James winces._

Charlie- Come over for teatime every week!  


James- Noooooo!

Amaru- And you _must_ bring your lovely intern.

_Becky rolls her eyes._

Becky- I'm still getting my salary, right?

_James turns to see Amaru aiming his bow at him._

James- Um… I don't think I have a choice.

_Amaru chuckles and slaps James on the back, and we cut to AJ and Lauren meeting outside Hannah and Sterling's room at the restaurant._

AJ- It's time to begin Operation Benevolent Sabotage to Make Hannah Realize her Mistake and Leave this Dinner Early.

_Lauren raises an eyebrow._

Lauren- Catchy.

AJ- We've just got to make this dinner so bad that Hannah will leave before hearing Sterling's stupid talk!

_Lauren yawns._

AJ- It starts by knocking out the entire kitchen staff.

Lauren- You could have started with that.

_We cut to Lauren knocking out the last of the kitchen staff with a frying pan Tangled-style._

Lauren- What now?

AJ- This is as far as I planned.

Lauren- Ugh. Once again, just going in there and punching him would be a lot easier.

AJ- We're not savages, Lauren!  


Lauren- Speak for yourself. But fine, I'll play your way. If there's one thing I know how to do, it's play a prank.

AJ- Let's do it!

_We cut to Lauren and AJ in their disguise from earlier serving Sterling and Hannah their food._

Sterling- It's simple to see, Hannah. You're _nothing_ without me.

Hannah- You've got nothing left, Ster. You can't offer me anything.

Sterling- I'm offering you forgiveness for your betrayal. You should show some gratitude.

_Lauren lays down their food in front of them, and Sterling sticks his fork in. Lauren quickly leaves, and AJ bursts out of her back._

AJ- She's calling him _Ster_?

Lauren- It's not even a good nickname…

_Inside the room, Sterling takes a bite of his food and immediately spits it out onto Hannah._

Hannah- AGH!

Sterling- This food must be half a year expired!

_He glares at Hannah._

Sterling- Clean yourself up!  


_Hannah grits her teeth and wipes herself off. We cut to Lauren and AJ holding a jar of flies up to an air ventilation system. Inside, Sterling continues to prattle to Hannah._

Sterling- I mean, what have you even been _doing_ with your time since I've been gone?

Hannah- I've been spending time with friends.

_Sterling rolls his eyes._

Sterling- Yes, I saw you with that CJ boy.

Hannah- _AJ_.

Sterling- Well, CJ's a much better name than that.

_Flies start buzzing around the two of them, and Sterling begins to swat._

Sterling- Argh! Get these away!

Hannah- Maybe we should just go…

Sterling- Nonsense! Just get rid of them!

_Hannah rolls her eyes and swats at the flies, 'accidentally' hitting Sterling in the shoulder. He grabs her wrist reflexively and she pulls away._

Sterling- I will _eviscerate_ this restaurant in my online review.

Hannah- Uh-huh…

_We cut to AJ and Lauren crawling through the vents._

AJ- You have the unlicensed green slime?

Lauren- I carry it with me always. It is my cross to bear.

AJ- Be ready to pour on my signal.

_They reach a vent opening, and Sterling and Hannah's voices become audible._

Lauren- I'm ready when-

AJ- Hold on…

_We see Sterling and Hannah below. Hannah is standing up and getting her coat on._

Hannah- I'm going.

Sterling- You are _not_ leaving. I haven't finished speaking.

Hannah- I've finished listening.

Sterling- _Get back here._

Hannah- I agreed to this meeting to be courteous, but-

Sterling- You agreed to this meeting because you needed me back in your life!

_Hannah's laughter rings out across the room._

Hannah- There was never a chance that you were coming back in my life. But I thought there might be a chance you could stay at Forrester. Clearly, I was mistaken.

Sterling- They've brainwashed you in captivity. You've lost your way, Hannah.

Hannah- I'm leaving.

_She walks away, and Sterling grabs her wrist._

Hannah- Hey!

_She tries to pull away, but Sterling does not let go. Suddenly, AJ drops down from the vent._

AJ- Let _go_ of her!

_AJ pushes Sterling away, leaving both him and Hannah shocked._

Sterling- CJ?

AJ- It's AJ!

Hannah- AJ, what are you _doing_ here?

AJ- I'm preventing you from falling for his stupid tricks!

_AJ is surprised when Hannah's expression sours._

AJ- What?

Hannah- I told you to stay behind.

AJ- Well, yeah, but that was just because he was manipulating you.

Sterling- Whaaaaat? I would _never_.

AJ and Hannah- SHUT UP!

Hannah- You really can't trust me to listen to Sterling for an hour and not betray you?!

AJ- I…I just wanted to make sure…

Hannah- You wanted to make sure of what? That I'm not a secret traitor?

_A pause._

AJ- I wanted to make sure you would be safe.

_Hannah's expression softens._

Hannah- AJ…

_She reaches for his hand, but Sterling slaps her wrist away. Hannah immediately turns around slaps Sterling in the face. He reels back, gasping._

Sterling- _You little_ -

_A clang sounds, and he falls to the ground, Lauren standing behind him with her frying pan. She proceeds to pour unlicensed green slime over him._

Hannah- Lauren?

Lauren- Oh, don't let me interrupt your emotional resolution.

_AJ and Hannah turn back to each other._

AJ- I… I should have trusted you. Should have let you make your choice.

Hannah- You didn’t mean to hurt me. But I want you to know that you can _always_ trust me.

AJ- I know.

Hannah- Coming here was a mistake, anyway. There was no good outcome, but… I think I still sort of needed it.

Lauren- I mean, you got to slap someone in the face. I consider that a good outcome.

_Hannah smiles._

Hannah- It _did_ feel good.

_Sterling starts to stir._

Sterling- Ugh… Mummy and Daddy will _never_ let you hear the end of this…

Hannah- Come on, let's get out of here.

AJ- Where to?

_All of their phones buzz and they look at them._

Hannah- Looks like there's a party.

_We cut to Will, Charlotte, Lauren, Hannah, and AJ sitting around a couch talking. Charlotte seems significantly more comfortable._

Will- Excellent! I'll have Sterling kicked out tomorrow!

AJ- Now, no more talk about school the rest of the night.

Charlotte- I really should be studying for my calculus test.

Will- You still take _classes_. Who are you, a peon?

Charlotte- Sorry that I actually want some useful skills for life.

Lauren- Charlotte, I love you, but you did _not_ just call calculus useful.

_The door opens and James, Becky, and the Valley gang walk in._

James- Ugh, _move_ over! I have had a _day_!

Will- Aw, what happened? I'm sorry I couldn't be by your side, honey.

Karasu- He's just being a baby. I didn't even break any bones.

Charlie- Be a little considerate, Su.

_Everyone gathers around the couch and continues chatting. James suddenly turns to the camera._

James- Oh, and that's just you rule the school, et cetera, et cetera.

_End episode._


	56. Rule the School S3E7

**Episode Seven: The Arduous Process of Cultural Unification**

Synopsis: Charlie engages in a Valley ritual; Charlotte and James teach philosophy; Will, Hannah, and Becky track down a notorious criminal.

_We open on Charlie walking up the stairs to the Valley. He stops just before he reaches school grounds, pulling out his phone to call Lauren._

Charlie- Hey, Lee! What's up?

Lauren- Not much. I'm just using some prisoners as target practice.

_Charlie winces a bit, and Lauren quickly realizes her mistake._

Lauren- My bad. I'm… not doing that.

_Charlie quickly shakes himself out of it._

Charlie- No, no, don't let little old me be a hassle. I just wanted to ask if you wanted to join us for a Valley boot camp?

Lauren- Like… with violence?

Charlie- Of course. We get bored of fighting each other sometimes and-

Lauren- Notch, stop talking. I started hijacking a car as soon as you said 'boot camp.'

Charlie- Don't you have a bike?

Lauren- Yeah, but I'm bringing friends!  


Charlie- Swell! The more the merrier!

Lauren- Okay, see you then. This guy's apparently really attached to his car.

_Right before Charlie hangs up, he hears a yell from Lauren._

Lauren- Don't make me swerve you into the wall! There's already bodies buried there!

_Charlie chuckles as he pockets his phone._

Charlie- Ah, she's great.

Lupa- CHARLIE!

_Charlie is roused from his own thoughts and turns to see Lupa, Karasu, and Amaru frantically running towards him. They all look a little beat up._

Charlie- Yikes… what happened to you guys?

Karasu- Everything!

Amaru- Relax, everything's _fine_. We just got into a bit of a culture war.

Charlie- A what now?

_Karasu points at Lupa._

Karasu- Well, _she_ started it when she called my whole tribe a bunch of, quote, 'emo weeaboos!'

Lupa- That was only because one of _your_ soldiers called us 'theater kids.'

Charlie- Lupa, you _are_ theater kids…

Lupa- That is _our_ word!

_Charlie turns to Amaru expectedly._

Amaru- I'm bigger than this. I'm not going to complain.

_Charlie waits a second._

Amaru- Karasu called the Biters a toxic community!  


Karasu- I meant it literally! You guys make poison!  


Amaru- I can read your tone, young one!  


Karasu- You did _not_ just 'young one' me!

Charlie- Well, the Sunlions haven't reported any name-calling.

Lupa- Well, yeah. You guys don't even have an identity to make fun of.

Charlie- _Excuse me_! We do too! The Sunlions are a clan of honorable knights!  


Karasu- No offense, Charlie, but you don't exactly give off knightly vibes.

Charlie- I have sensitive skin and armor chafes, okay?

Amaru- Well, the tribes are at each other's throats! What do we do?

Charlie- Ugh, why does this fall to me?

Karasu- You won leadership of the Valley. You could always try using it.

Charlie- _Fiiiiine._ But you guys are helping.

_The other three reluctantly grumble approval and they walk together into the school. We cut to James walking alongside another student in the hallways._

James- Mass mind control? That has potential. Keep looking into that.

Student- Is that even possible in this universe?

James- We like to keep our level of technology extremely vague. Can't jump the shark if you're already twenty feet above it.

Will- JAMES!

_James turns around just in time for Will to basically jump on him._

James- Agh!

_Will scrambles to untangle himself from James as James scrambles back, his face red._

James- W-what is it, Will?

Will- I was in the middle of photo ops when I had the best idea!

James- Which was?

Will- James, I think it's time to take our relationship to the next level.

_James turns even more red and sputters._

James- I-uh-eh-um-I-wha-why-huh…

Will- We should go out and do a couples' assassination!

_James recovers._

James- A what?

Will- Ugh, could you _please_ catch up on trends, James? Couples' assassinations are all the rage these days. I already have the target in mind!

James- That does sound like fun…

Will- I can sense that there's a 'but' coming here.

James- _But_ I already have plans with Charlotte today.

Will- But Jaaaaaaaames! What about our looooove!?

_James is already walking away._

James- Sorry, Will. I'll make it up to you after school, I promise!  


_Will pouts._

Will- Fine. Didn't even want to do a couples' assassination anyway.

_Becky pokes her head around the corner._

Becky- Did someone say assassination?

_She and Hannah walk around the corner._

Hannah- Becky was gonna bake me some treats, but this sounds good too!

Becky- Hm. Maybe this can result in your death too.

Hannah- Excuse me?

Becky- Nothing, nothing.

Will- But it won't be a _couples' assassination._

Becky- We could assassinate a couple.

_Hannah snickers._

Will- You know what, fine! We'll do a normal assassination! I can have fun without James! I'm not defined by my relationship with the most adorable dictator alive.

Becky- Joke's on him. I heard he decided to hang out with _Charlotte_ today.

Hannah- Don't be mean, Becky! I'm sure she'll be very happy to see him.

_We cut to James being held at paintball gunpoint by Charlotte's guards as she sips on some coffee._

Charlotte- What do you want?

James- Um, can you tell them to put their weapons down? I'm your boss.

Charlotte- I'm drunk on my own power, James. Let me have this.

James- Anyway, anyway, I had a fun idea for what we could do today!

Charlotte- Spending time with you? Riveting…

James- Charlotte, aren't we friends?

Charlotte- Only because of that contract you tricked me into signing in second grade.

James- Should have read the fine print.

_Charlotte sighs and waves away the guards._

Charlotte- Anyway, it's not just that your general presence irritates me. I also had plans today.

James- What plans?

Charlotte- …business.

_James looks past Charlotte to see several anime DVDs scattered across her desk. Charlotte groans, downing the rest of her coffee._

Charlotte- Fine, I'll play. Will's gonna kill me if I keep you away for too long, so let's make this quick.

_She stands up and she and James walk out and walk through the halls of Woodsworth briskly._

James- So you know how every time some bad guy takes over, the student body immediately sides with them?

Charlotte- Uh-huh.

James- Well, I was thinking if we educate the students in our political philosophy, they'll maintain our ideals even in we're ousted from power!  


Charlotte- James, have you ever considered that the students turn against so easily because you constantly threaten them with violence and blackmail.

James- Pff! That sounds dumb. You're dumb. We're doing this.

_Charlotte gives a long sigh._

Charlotte- And I assume you want to use Woodsworth as a testing ground before you try with the students you actually value.

James- You got it!

Charlotte- You know, when you gave me Woodsworth to rule I thought I'd maybe be-

James- Powerful?

Charlotte- No, I just thought I might finally be relevant.

_James laughs._

James- Don't be absurd, Charlotte. Now, are you ready to teach some philosophy?

Charlotte- I guess this is my life now. We need more cardigans if we're going to be philosophy teachers.

_We cut to a student running up to Charlie in the middle of Maple Valley._

Student- Charlie, someone drove a car onto the sidewalk at unreasonably high speeds!

_Charlie grins._

Charlie- Lee!

_Quick cut to Charlie walking out to the stairs, where Lauren and the deputies are climbing out of a poorly parked car._

Lauren- 'Sup, Notch.

_She punches him in the stomach, and he elbows her in the hip._

Charlie- You brought your crew?

Lauren- Oh, yeah, these are my deputies. Everyone go down the line and remind us who you even are.

Carmen- I'm cool and cold.

Emily- I'm the feisty little one.

Gabriel- I'm the stick in the mud.

Mr. Garcia- I get to live out every teacher's dream of beating the living daylights out of their students.

Matthew- Arrows!

_Charlie raises his eyebrows._

Charlie- _The_ Garcia works for you?

Lauren- You heard of him or something?

Charlie- He's only one of our most famous students ever.

Mr. Garcia- Back in _my_ day-

AJ- I'm here too!  


_AJ rolls out of one of the car doors, flopping onto the ground and standing up._

Charlie- You brought him?

Lauren- Honestly, I thought he was a piece of luggage so I just chucked him in.

AJ- My head's kinda rattling-

Lauren- Shut it, Mitchell. You wanna be at this boot camp or not?

AJ- Not really, no.

Charlie- Aw, c'mon. You'll have fun, AJ!

_Cut to Charlie, AJ, Lauren, and the deputies entering the room where the boot camp is happening. Valley soldiers battle each other and go through complex obstacle courses. The deputies are amazed._

Emily- It's amazing…

Mr. Garcia- Just like I remember…

_Lauren grins at them._

Lauren- Welcome to Maple Valley, gang!

Charlie- Don't think you're gonna dominate here, Lee. These are Valley soldiers you'll be-

_Lauren whirls around to punch Charlie, but he ducks out of the way. They fight for a short bit before Charlie sweeps her legs. AJ snickers, and Lauren gives him a dirty look._

Lauren- Rematch me after my warmup, Notch.

Charlie- Um… that might not happen.

Lauren- Excuse me?

_The other Valley leaders walk up, and Karasu steps in front of Charlie._

Karasu- Charlie has to do something actually important!

Lauren- Are you denying the inherent importance of violence? George Orwell said-

Lupa- We're kind of in the middle of a culture war here, Lee.

Amaru- I did bring some instructions for a good warmup, though!  


_Charlie looks a little confused._

Charlie- Y'all know Lee?

Karasu- I go over to Forrester whenever I want to beat people up without consequences.

Lupa- Yesterday me and Lauren watched one of the great classics _La Femme du Manoir._

Lauren- I liked it when the person punched the other person in the face.

Amaru- I text her whenever I need baked goods to be eaten.

Lauren- The stomach of a warrior is never full!  


_Charlie shrugs._

AJ- So who's running the bootcamp?

_Charlie gestures behind them and Richard, Xander, Rita, and Julio walk up._

Lauren- Really, Notch? You're pawning us off on the sidekicks?

Richard- _Excuse_ me?

_Julio runs up to Mr. Garcia._

Julio- Hey, dad!  


_Mr. Garcia bends down and boxes a bit with Julio, eventually knocking to the ground._

Mr. Garcia- Talk to me when you can take me one on one.

_Rita looks at AJ._

Rita- Well, you certainly don't belong here.

AJ- Hey!

Rita- Nah, I was just saying that you've got work to do. You're gonna be my project today, kid.

AJ- Um… okay.

Xander (sign language)- I know you guys are the top dogs or whatever at Forrester, but don't expect to-

_Hard cut to Xander being slammed to the ground by Lauren. She swings her axe hard, sending him across the room._

Lauren- I'll admit, I'm close to breaking a sweat. Consider that a compliment.

_She whirls around to block a strike by Richard. They spar for a bit before he uses some fancy fencing to disarm her._

Richard- Who's a sidekick now?

Lauren- Eh, Charlie could have done it sooner.

Richard- Stop comparing us. That's _very_ bad for my self-esteem.

Lauren- You've got bigger problems.

_She pulls another axe from hammerspace and rushes at him._

Richard- What?

Lauren- You know what Gandhi said: 'Always carry two giant axes.'

Julio- Hey!

_Lauren turns to see Julio running at her, struggling to lift her discarded axe. Lauren chuckles and slams her own weapon down on him hard, but he barely manages to stay standing._

Lauren- Not bad, k-

_She is interrupted by Xander coming in and plagiarizing Black Widow's head scissor thing. She manages to toss him off, but she's surrounded._

Lauren- This doesn't seem fair.

Richard- Aren't you meant to be Forrester's best or whatever?

Lauren- _We're_ Forrester's best.

_She whistles, and the deputies rush in and engage the Valley kids. Mr. Garcia makes a beeline for Julio and shoulder checks him across the room. Richard manages to fight off two of the deputies until Lauren knocks his sword from his hands and slams him over the head. Xander is quickly surrounded by deputies, and raises his hands in the air._

Xander - Nope, nope. Not doing this.

_He walks away, and Lauren shrugs. She pats some of her deputies on the back._

Lauren- Good job, gang. Now get back to work! I'll just wait until someone worthy challenges me!

_Pan to Rita patting AJ on the back in a vague attempt to hype him up._

Rita- Alright, kid, I think you're ready to take her!

AJ- Really?

Rita- Totally, totally! Get out there!  


AJ- Okay! I'm gonna do it!  


_He rushes away, and Rita pulls out an old video camera and starts recording. Xander walks up beside her._

Xander- I've got to watch this.

Rita- Stop making your witch hands at me!

_AJ approaches Lauren, struggling to hold the massive sword he's been given._

AJ- Hey! Lee!  


_Lauren turns around and raises an eyebrow._

Lauren- The last name privilege is reserved for people I respect.

AJ- You'll respect me after _this_!

_Slow motion shot of AJ running towards Lauren, his sword held high. Then we go back to regular speed as Lauren plucks his sword from his hands and slams him over the head repeatedly until he falls to the ground, unconscious._

Lauren- Anyone else?

_Rita stops recording and breathes in through her teeth._

Rita- I should probably go help him… after I show this to everyone.

_She runs over to the other side of the room, leaving AJ still slumped over. We cut to the four Valley leaders standing before the rest of the Valley students in their massive dining hall._

Charlie- Warriors of the Valley! We understand there's been some infighting amongst the tribes recently.

Lupa, Karasu, Amaru- So sayeth the Lion!

Charlie- We must quash this civil unrest before it results in total disunity!

Lupa, Karasu, Amaru- So he declareth!

Charlie- Thus, it is imperative that…

_He trails off._

Charlie- Who wrote this thing?

_He looks back at a guilty Lupa._

Lupa- I copied it from a movie.

_Charlie turns to the crowd, exasperated._

Charlie- We're having a culture fair. We're all gonna experience some fun stuff that the other tribes have cooked up! Who's ready?

_The crowd seems a little unenthusiastic._

Charlie- Oh, and if you guys do this, we'll show off the Founder's Relics.

_The crowd cheers loudly and starts running towards the various booths of the fair. Charlie turns to his fellow leaders._

Karasu- So, like… can we go now?

_Charlie grins, putting his arms around his three friends._

Charlie- Aw, c'mon, Su. What kind of leaders would we be if we didn't set a good example?

Karasu- James and Will-

Charlie- Ugh, don't listen to those clowns! They get overthrown every two weeks.

Amaru- If they just let the lovely poison maiden run everything, they would-

Lupa- Amaru, she's not that into you. Let it go.

Amaru- I never washed my shoulder after she stabbed me with that syringe-

Charlie- And that's enough of that! Time to unify four warring cultures within a day!

_We see various scenes of the Valley leaders trying each other's various activities. Karasu applies goth makeup to a soldier as the others look at their own makeup in the mirror._

Valley Soldier- Can I have some of this makeup to apply more later?

Karasu- That's cultural appropriation! Watch your mouth or-

Charlie- How do I look?

_Charlie is somehow really rocking the look, and Karasu flushes._

Karasu- It's-it's fine.

_The three of them watch Amaru as he pours green liquid into some batter, trying to copy him._

Amaru- And then you just add a little pesticide. It'll taste so good they won't even feel their nervous system start to fail!

_Lupa speaks with her mouth full._

Lupa- You're right! It's delicious.

_Everyone looks at her, horrified, before they all begin to scream. We see them at the Sunlion booth practicing fencing._

Lupa- En guarde! En guarde! En guarde!

Charlie- Lupes, you can't just keep saying en guarde. That's not what fencing is.

_Lupa promptly punches him in the stomach._

Charlie- Ugh… touché.

Karasu- Oh, are we beating up Charlie? You should have warned me.

_We see Lupa prepping the other three backstage._

Lupa- Okay, you guys remember when I rewrote Romeo and Juliet in third grade?

Karasu- Lupa, _please_ no-

Lupa- Oh, we're doing this! I trust you all still have your lines memorized?

_Karasu grumbles._

Karasu- Every last one.

Charlie- This should be interesting.

Lupa- I finally got to install those pyrotechnics that Ms. Keely said were 'dangerous.'

_We see various moments throughout the show. Karasu and Charlie are onstage._

Charlie- Juliet, let's run away together!

Karasu- Romeo, you know it wouldn't work. You're a mafia boy, and I'm a yakuza girl.

Charlie- All that matters is us, baby…

_Amaru yells out in a high pitched voice as he enters wearing an ill-fitting maid outfit._

Amaru- Yoo-hoo! Juliet?

Karasu- My beloved nurse!

Amaru- Gasp! What is a _mafia_ boy doing here!  


Karasu- Nurse, it's not what you-

_Amaru pulls out a prop gun from his back and fires wildly as gun sound effects play in the background._

Charlie- We'll meet again, Juliet! I promise!

_He runs off and go to another scene. Amaru and Charlie are fighting with machetes._

Amaru- I'm ending this war once and for all!  


Charlie- Long live the mafia!

Karasu- Romeo!

_They burst in and do battle with Amaru until they are eventually subdued._

Amaru- I'm taking you home with me, young lady!

_Karasu is handed off to guards that escort them offstage._

Charlie- You'll pay for this! Let her follow her heart!

Amaru- They- I mean _she_ doesn't know what she wants!

_They battle, and Amaru knocks Romeo's machete from his hands._

Amaru- You’re done for!  


_Lupa rushes in and takes the blow for him, falling dramatically._

Charlie- Mercutio!  


_Amaru exits._

Lupa- It's okay, Romeo. I always knew I would go down protecting you. Goodbye, cruel world.

_She appears to fall limp but rises up again._

Lupa- In her divine providence, God has granted me a second more of life, that I may look upon your face on last time, dear friend. And might I use this opportunity to remind you in front of a crowd that you still owe me ten dollars for paying for your tacos last Tuesday.

_Charlie hisses under his breath._

Charlie- I thought I was off the hook for this.

Lupa- But now my time has truly come. Truly, indisputably, inevitably come. When I succumb to the great void beyond, will my name-

_Charlie abruptly drops Lupa._

Charlie- Look, Mercutio's dead. Sad.

_He drags her offstage and we fade to the last scene where soldiers surround Karasu and Charlie._

Amaru- You're finished, Juliet. Surrender Romeo to execution and we can forget about this.

_Karasu appears to fall for it, walking over to Amaru._

Karasu- Oh, happy dagger, _this_ is thy sheath.

_They pull out a prop knife and stab it into Amaru, causing fake blood to squirt everywhere. Karasu and Charlie pull out prop guns._

Charlie- There's too many of them, my love. We'll die.

Karasu- I can't imagine a better end than dying beside you.

_They fire at the soldiers around them as the sad music swells. The lights fade and Lupa rises on wires above the stage, singing very poorly._

Lupa- **In the aaaarms of the aaaaangels… fLy aWaY… FLY awaY.**

_We cut to Will, Hannah, and Becky sitting at an outside café together._

Becky- I'm disappointed. We've done very little assassination thus far.

Will- Well, our target isn't exactly the most accessible person.

Hannah- Who is it?

_Will lowers his voice._

Will- Antonio Manneratto…

_Hannah gasps._

Hannah- The test-answer dealer?

Becky- He helped me pass Ethics…

Will- What, you have something against backstabbing now, Becky?

Becky- Not at all, not at all.

Hannah- Oh, is that why we're wearing these fashionable pinstripe suits?

_Pan down to reveal them all wearing pinstripe suits._

Will- That, plus, they're _very_ aesthetic right now.

Hannah- How are we going to get to Antonio Manneratto, though? He hasn't been to school in weeks and his mansion is securely guarded.

Will- We've left him alone for too long. His services are disrupting me and James' economy. Either he works for us or we take him out. But as for how we'll get to him-

_He gasps._

Will- Put your menus up!

_They all put their menus in front of their faces as a boy also wearing a pinstripe suit enters._

Becky- Who's he?

Will- Some poor stupid dope named Bryce. We've been bugging him and waiting for him to go to Antonio Manneratto for help.

Hannah- And that's how we'll find out how to get him?

Will- Precisely.

Becky- Fun.

Will- It would have been _much_ more fun as a couples activity.

Hannah- Oh, get over it. AJ went to a _boot camp_ instead of hanging out with me.

Becky- Understandable.

Hannah- Hey!  


Will- Are you guys even a couple or what?

Hannah- We're, like, one step above being married in kindergarten.

Becky- I'll make the cake for the wedding.

Will- Guys! Over there!

_Bryce is walking over to a girl wearing large shoulder pads and a pinstripe suit._

Hannah- In hindsight, it should have been obvious that the one other person dressed like this would be connected to Antonio.

Will and Becky- Who?

Hannah- Oh, right. Antonio Manneratto.

Will and Becky- Oooooh, okay.

Will- Becky, get over there and spy on them, and then see if you can get us a meeting too.

Becky- Ugh, I'm on it.

Hannah- You sure you can pretend?

Becky- Honey, if I pretended to be interested in James, I can pretend to be anything.

Will- Hey!

Becky- You deserve each other. Plus, I locked my drama teacher in a cabinet on the first day of school and I've been teaching the class ever since.

Hannah- You feed her, right?

_Becky looks at her, quizzically._

Becky- Is that… something I should do?

_Becky walks over to where Bryce is talking to the girl, pretending to examine the menu on the wall._

Bryce- You don't understand, I need to see Antonio Manneratto! I'm gonna fail Chemistry without his help.

_The girl speaking in an exaggerated Long Island accent._

Girl- I don't see how that's my problem, bud. I don't even know who you're talking about.

Bryce- Um… Dominic sent me.

_The girl grins and whispers something in his ear. He smiles and walks off. Becky raises her eyebrows and quickly assumes a more angry expression, putting on a Long Island accent of her own as she takes a seat._

Girl- And you are?

Becky- A customer… looking to buy from the best.

Girl- Aren't you Becky Poller? You ruled the school for like, a day and a half, didn't you?

Becky- That's me.

Girl- Why are you talking like that?

_Becky pauses before speaking normally._

Becky- Frog in the throat. Now, since I'm a returning buyer, can I please just get approved to see Antonio Manneratto. For some reason, I decided to take Ethics II, and I don't get it at all. I mean, morality? What _is_ that?

_The girl is silent, and Becky rolls her eyes._

Becky- Are you going to help me, or do I have to get Dominic on the phone myself.

Girl- Ah, that's right. You must be the last customer Dominic told me to expect.

Becky- The… last customer?

Girl- Yep.

_Becky pulls out her phone._

Girl- Hey! What do you think you're doing!?

Becky- Oh, just making sure my mom records _Don Vivinno's Kitchen_.

Girl- I love that show!  


Becky- Do you? Tell me more.

_Back to Will and Hannah as Will receives a text._

Will- Uh-oh.

Hannah- What is it?

Will- We have to find the _real_ buyer and make sure they don't get near Becky.

Hannah- Well, that shouldn't be difficult.

_She points to a girl in a pinstripe suit just entering the café. Will quickly gets up and runs up to her._

Buyer- Hey, aren't you-

Will- Will Cross? Yes, that's me. Want an autograph?

Buyer- Not-

Hannah- Of course you do! Here, he'll sign your forehead out back.

_Back to Becky._

Girl- And then when he used that paprika to give that dish _exactly_ what it needed… brought a tear to my eye.

Becky- Uh-huh.

_Outside, Will is signing the girl's forehead when Hannah suddenly whacks her in the back of the head with a pipe, knocking her out._

Will- Hannah!

Hannah- What? I didn't know what to-

Will- Just help me shove her into the dumpster!

Hannah- WHAT?!

Will- Just do it!  


_As they struggle to lift up the girl into the nearby dumpster, Becky rounds the corner._

Becky- Hey.

_They drop the girl, who starts to rouse to consciousness. Becky quickly shoots her in the neck with a dart._

Hannah- We were just-

Becky- Don't care. We have a ticket to see Antonio Manneratto.

_We cut to James and Charlotte in front of a group of Woodsworth students._

James- Hello, students of Woodsworth!

Charlotte- Hey.

James- Now, I bet you're wondering why we pulled all of you out of class and dragged you into this gym.

Charlotte- I _am_ wondering that, actually.

_James presses a button on a remote and a presentation is projected on the wall behind him depicting James photoshopped with a cartoon crown and dollar signs for eyes._

James- Now… who can tell me what capitalism is?

_No one raises their hand._

James- Come on! What are they teaching you at this school?!

Charlotte- They're probably a little occupied with the various mental and physical harm they risk walking into these doors every day.

_The students all collectively nod._

James- Well, whatever, looks like I have to explain this!  


_He assumes an extremely patronizing tone._

James- Our schools operate under this awesome system called capitalism where everyone works towards their own prosperity!

Student- Then how come my muffin sale got shut down!  


_James' smile wavers._

James- Um… you know, I think you're a little confused. Forrester and Woodsworth run under capitalism and-

Charlotte- Didn't you and Will only call it capitalism because that word tested better in focus groups than 'pyramid scheme dictatorship.'

_James turns towards Charlotte, but she already has guards training weapons on him. James lets out some nervous laughter._

James- HAHAHHAHAHAHA. I have a graph to illuminate this concept.

_He clicks a button and the presentation switches to a selfie of Will lounging on a couch with the caption 'felt cute.' James turns red._

James- WRONG SLIDE. WRONG SLIDE.

_He keeps clicking, and the story plays out. There's an image of a smiling James with the caption 'miss you.' Then comes an image of Will by his car with the caption 'I'm coming over.' Then there's a series of selfies of the two with various filters, including Will jumping on James and James asleep on Will. James is having a psychotic breakdown._

James- Aghurghmmwhagahlargmarh…

_Charlotte snorts in laughter as James finally goes to a new slide with a picture of the Forrester military._

James- Okay okay okay okay okay… we're back on track. This is our military. They protect all of us from our enemies and help us conquer new territory to provide prosperity for our citizens.

Student- Then how come they took my sister last week and I still don't know where she is?

_James snaps._

James- Shut _up_!

_He jumps down and runs into the crowd, but is quickly restrained and taken away by guards. Charlotte smiles and deactivates James' presentation, instead showing her own that depicts a very famous face._

Charlotte- Well, now that _he's_ gone… how many of you have heard of Karl Marx?

_We cut to AJ in full training montage mode with Rita as his coach. He is outside in the forest, facing a tree._

Rita- Punch the tree.

AJ- What?

Rita- Punch. The tree.

AJ- I don't see how that-

Rita- Tree. Punch it.

_AJ punches the tree and immediately recoils._

AJ- Ow!

Rita- Again!

_AJ punches with his other hand._

AJ- Ow!

Rita- Keep going! You wanna beat Lauren, don't you?

_AJ grits his teeth and keeps going. We see various other shots, like AJ trying to push a box, him swinging a sword around and hitting himself in the face, and him doing the slowest push-ups known to man. Then Rita walks towards him playing one of those tapper games on his phone._

Rita- Hey, no slacking!  


_She swipes towards him, but he blocks with his thumb._

AJ- This is part of my training… I have the strongest thumbs known to man.

_Rita grins._

Rita- You're ready.

_We cut to AJ, Lauren, and the deputies lined up in front of a perilous obstacle course._

Lauren- You decided to come back.

AJ- I'm prepared this time.

_Lauren rolls her eyes._

Lauren- Whatever you say.

Richard- Alright, boot camp participants. This obstacle course has some safety rules.

_He squints._

Richard- Sorry, misread that. This obstacle course has _no_ safety rules. Go!  


_He blows a whistle and everyone takes off. They all manage to avoid the first obstacles (swinging axes, firing arrows, et cetera), but find themselves in a large room with a basketball hoop. The word 'DUNK' is illuminated above the hoop. AJ looks around._

AJ- What are we supposed to-

_Before he can finish, Lauren grabs him and dunks him into the hoop._

Mr. Garcia- Good thinking, sheriff.

_The deputies all take turns dunking AJ, leaving him frazzled as he's left in the room alone, the doors shut. We see Lauren avoiding throwing axes flying around her. She manages to catch one and throw it to the side, hitting AJ and knocking him down._

Lauren- Uh… whoops.

_We cut to Lauren and the deputies standing on a moving platform just before AJ jumps across, grabbing to the edge. Mr. Garcia immediately steps on his toes, sending him falling._

Lauren- You didn't have to-

Mr. Garcia- Yes I did.

_We cut to Lauren and the deputies ascending the final climbing wall and meeting the Valley crew._

Richard- And _most_ of our contestants make a stellar finish!

Rita- No! There he is!

_She points and we see a clearly concussed AJ making his way to the climbing wall._

Xander- You sure got attached quickly.

Rita- Stop doing your jutsus!

Julio- Look! He's about to fall!

_Lauren and the deputies peer over to see AJ struggling._

Gabriel- He's never going to make it.

Emily- He is trying, though.

Carmen- I tried macrame. Still didn't amount to anything.

_Lauren rolls her eyes._

Lauren- He'll fall in no time at all.

_She hears a yell and looks down to see AJ still ascending with a determined expression._

Rita- You can do it, kid!  


Julio- You don't know his name, do you?

_Nevertheless, the crowd starts cheering for AJ. Lauren gives a deep sigh, leaning over to face AJ as he approaches. He's breathing extremely heavily. There's a long pause._

Lauren- You got this.

_AJ lights up and he finally ascends, reaching the top and immediately collapsing. Lauren picks him up and slings him over her shoulder._

Richard- Well, that's still last place…

Lauren- It's _a_ place. Let him have this.

_We cut to Becky, Will, and Hannah arriving outside a massive mansion. Will and Hannah are now wearing beanies and ski masks._

Hannah- This is it?

Becky- No, I just stopped outside an extravagant mansion that's unrelated to our mission.

Hannah- I got it, thanks.

Becky- Remember, you two are just my guards.

Will- It feels a little demeaning.

Becky- Could be worse. You could be an intern.

Will- Isn't James paying you now?

Becky- He's paying in shares of Forrester's stock. It's an extremely precarious financial situation.

_Becky tosses her hair to the side angrily as they approach some guards at the door, who also speak in exaggerated New York accents._

Guard One- What's your business here?

Becky- I have an appointment with Antonio Manneratto. The name's Becky Poller.

_The other guard points to Hannah and Will._

Guard Two- And they are?

_Will speaks in a New York accent._

Will- We're the protection.

Guard One- You go in, Ms. Poller… they stay here.

Hannah- Excuse me, but that won't-

Becky- Sounds good, bye!

_She walks through the door, leaving Will and Hannah behind. Will sighs and goes to stand beside the other guards._

Will- So unappreciative.

_We see Becky being escorted by a butler through the hallway until she reaches a room where several kids in pinstripe suits are sitting down and having some steak. She's stopped at the door and watches what ensues as one smaller boy, Antonio Manneratto, speaks._

Antonio- I am so pleased to have all my associate dealers here with me today. You're all doing great work and making us all good money!

_He narrows his eyes._

Antonio- Except for one of you…

Becky- Ooh…

_Antonio turns his eyes to one of the boys at the table._

Antonio- Nico… I had such faith in you.

_The boy looks around frantically and tries to get up, but is quickly knocked out._

Antonio- Dispose of him.

_He looks around at the other dealers._

Antonio- I hope that today's terrible loss has given you all some clarity about what's expected of all of you.

_He hears clapping and turns to see Becky entering._

Becky- Love it. That was great.

Antonio- Who are you?

Becky- A fan, and maybe also your new best friend.

_He looks slightly intrigued and gestures for the other dealers to leave._

Antonio- Becky Poller, right?

Becky- Glad to see you've heard of me. I'm here to make a deal.

Antonio- Yes, I heard you were a customer. Who are the guards you brought with you?

Becky- Leaders of Forrester. You should probably send out some guards to dispose of them.

Antonio- Will do. Now, I can tell you're here with something else.

Becky- Well, you have _very_ substantial influence within Forrester. Dozens of students are in your debt. With your wealth and my smarts… we could take Forrester for ourselves.

Antonio- I do like the sound of that… a power couple…

_Becky curls her lip._

Becky- Maybe more of like, a partnership. Seduction to gain power is _so_ not what I'm about anymore.

_Antonio vigorously raises his eyebrows, putting a hand on Becky's shoulder._

Antonio- Hey… we can do this together.

_Becky basically retches._

Becky- Ew.

_She shoots him in the chest with several darts, then looks around at the armed guards surrounding the room._

Becky- Um…

_She immediately has to dive behind a couch as paintballs fly around her. We cut to Will and Hannah outside, trying to make small talk with the guards._

Will- So… how have you guys been?

_A pause._

Hannah- Haha… I know, right?

_They hear footsteps and turn to see guards approaching from the door._

Hannah- Hey! Is Becky almost done in-

_She's cut off as the guards draw their weapons and start firing. She and Will back around the corner as the guards that were besides them start firing as well._

Will- Agh! Hannah!

_Hannah pulls out two paintball tommy-guns from her purse and tosses one to Will. They each peek around the corner, taking out the guards quickly. They pull off their masks and hats, shaken._

Hannah- What _was_ that?

Will- We should get out of here. Clearly, we've been compromised.

Hannah- What about Becky!? We can't leave her.

Will- Interns are cheap.

Hannah- Will!

Will- Ugh, fine.

_We cut to Becky still hiding behind the couch. Eventually, the couch is shoved aside, and she finds herself facing an armed guard._

Becky- Agh!

_She tosses a vial of poison at his face, and he staggers away. She backs up as she fires at some guards, but suddenly, the door is kicked down and a screaming Hannah runs in._

Hannah- AAAAAAAAAAAH!

_She savagely takes down all the guards, and Becky raises an eyebrow._

Becky- You okay, Hannah?

Hannah- Violence is a little addictive.

_Will walks in, gesturing to Antonio's unconscious body._

Will- I see you already took care of Mr. Manneratto.

Becky- Guilty as charged. I definitely didn't try to betray you guys at all.

Hannah- The guards are all on the hunt for us now… how are we going to get out of here?

_Will narrows his eyes._

Will- We'll have to take them all down. This isn't a couples' assassination anymore… it's a couples' massacre.

Becky- I like the sound of that. Hannah?

_Hannah pulls out a rifle from her purse and hands it to Becky. Becky pours in some mixed poisons and grins. We cut to the three of them firing wildly down a hallway, taking out guards left and right. Some guards rush into a room and lock it, and Will grins, gesturing to Becky._

Will- Gas them out.

_Becky smiles and points her rifle at the bottom of the doorway, firing a sickly green gas into the room. Coughing quickly sounds through the door, and Will and Hannah gun down the guards as they exit the room. We see Will firing wildly as a guard approaches behind him before having a dart shot in his neck. Will turns to see Becky with a nonchalant expression._

Will- My savior.

Becky- Relax. You're just my ticket to a paycheck.

Will- I'll have a talk with James, I promise.

Hannah- Yeah, I'll be coming along for that. We both know you have a little bit of trouble saying no to him.

_They reach an air vent, and Hannah and Becky exchange a look. Becky goes to the vent, firing more gas. She turns around and hands gas masks to Hannah and Will._

Becky- Put these on.

Will- What about you?

Becky- I inhale poison on a daily basis. I may or may not die at the age of thirty, but I'll be fine right now.

_We see the three of them doing a slow walk down a hallway as gas spreads and guards cough in the background. Then we see them looking at the building from the street as gas wafts from the windows._

Becky- Well, that was significantly more fun than I thought it would be.

_Will pouts._

Will- Would have been better as a couples activity, though.

_A pause._

Will- But this was still pretty good, I guess.

Hannah- You guys down for another couples' massacre next week?

Becky- Why are we still calling it a couples'-

Hannah- Shush. It's a tradition now.

Will- I'll come if James doesn't have a date planned next week.

Becky- So you'll definitely be here.

Will- Hey!

_Hannah and Becky laugh, and Will gives a small smile. We cut to James sipping on some tea, trying to calm down. He smiles as he scrolls through some other photos of him and Will, but looks up when he hears quick footsteps from outside. Charlotte bursts in, grabbing James and pulling him to the door._

Charlotte- James, we have a situation.

James- What is-

_He pauses when he sees a large crowd of very angry students rushing towards them._

Student One- False leader!

Student Two- We will take back control of this school for the people!  


_James looks at Charlotte, aghast._

James- You didn't?

Charlotte- Um… didn't what?

James- Your stupid obsession with Marxism! I told you it would be the end of us all!  


Charlotte- No time to discuss. We have to run!

_They take off, heading up the stairs._

Charlotte- I thought it would be like a Soviet Union thing where we tell them we're for the people but just continue to oppress them!

James- Admittedly, that does sound nice. But _clearly_ you went a bit too far!  


_He pulls out his phone and starts texting._

Student Two- We will seize control of the means of production!

James- What does that even mean?! This is a high school!

_A chair flies past James' head and he screams. Charlotte pulls him into a classroom and locks the door. James pockets his phone as footsteps gather outside._

James- Hey, guys. I'm sure we can talk about-

Student Three- We don't listen to dictators!  


James- Dictator is such a _strong_ word. I'm just the appointed caretaker of Forrester.

Student Three- Appointed by _whom_?

_James looks pointedly at Charlotte._

Charlotte- Um… don't forget, guys. James helped Forrester win the war and give you all freedom.

Student Three- So he was right for wartime! In times of peace, the people should elect a leader or work together for the betterment of the collective good!

_Charlotte thinks for a second._

Charlotte- Okay, guys… let's talk about some changes.

James- _Excuse_ -

_Charlotte clamps her hand over his mouth._

Charlotte- We're just here to please the people. Now, let's be civil…

_We fade to later._

Student Three- I can make that compromise. We'll allow federal control of the cafeteria menu as well.

Charlotte- How generous of you. Shake on it?

Student Three- Come on out.

_They open the door and the students apprehensively let them out._

Student Three- So you agree to the conditions?

James- Hmm…

_He looks at his phone._

James- No, we just needed time for the troops to show up.

_In a flash, Forrester troops flood in, knocking out and restraining all the students. There is a bit of a fight, but it's over quickly. Charlotte raises an eyebrow._

Charlotte- And here I thought we were going to negotiate.

James- Don't kid yourself, Charlotte.

Charlotte- If it meant I didn't have to do so much work ruling Woodsworth anymore, maybe it wouldn't have been so bad.

James- I could always give it to AJ.

Charlotte- On second thought, I'll keep Woodsworth.

_She looks down at the unconscious students._

Charlotte- Ugh, it's going to be _so much work_ reconditioning and brainwashing these students again. I'll have to throw people in prison and broadcast more propaganda than usual.

James- I just thought it would be fun to brainwash the students together…

_Charlotte rolls her eyes._

Charlotte- Want to help me reestablish a totalitarian dictatorship?

_James lights up._

James- Do I!

_James happily walks off with Charlotte as she throws orders out to soldiers, and we cut to Maple Valley, where the students are seemingly having fun. A voice booms out._

Charlie- Maple Valley! Are you ready?!

_The room goes dark and a spotlight shines onstage._

Charlie- Today, you've all experienced the traditions and hobbies of the other tribes, and I daresay you've liked it!

_The crowd cheers._

Charlie- For being so good at this, we're about to show off the most finely crafted weapons in the whole Valley! Forged from the bones of the Founders themselves… are you ready?!

_The crowd roars again, and the four tribe leaders walk out. Charlie is wearing heavy knight armor (sans helmet), Karasu is wearing traditional ninja garb and their hair is tied back into a ponytail, Amaru is wearing colorful Inca garb, and Lupa is wearing silver centurion armor. They're all wielding large, blunted, bone-white weapons: Charlie a mace, Karasu a sword, Amaru a bow and arrows, and Lupa a spear. Karasu whispers to Lupa._

Karasu- Are these really made from the Founders' bones?

Lupa- Well, they're definitely made from _something's_ bones.

_They all hold up their Relics and show them off to the cheers of the crowd._

Charlie- Pretty cool, right!

_The crowd is quiet for a second, then begins to chant._

Crowd- Fight, fight, fight, fight, fight!

_Charlie falters for a second._

Charlie- You… you us to fight with these?

Crowd- Fight, fight, fight, fight!

_Charlie is smiling, but he hesitates. Amaru walks up to him and whispers in his ear._

Amaru- Charlie, we don't have to-

_Charlie holds up a hand, trying to look fine._

Charlie- We've gotta the people what they want, don't we?

Amaru- Charlie…

Charlie- It's fine.

_The other three exchange glances, and we cut to the four of them facing each other, surrounded by the crowd, who are beating weapons to the ground in rhythm. Charlie breathes in deeply, narrowing his eyes._

Charlie- Let's go!

_They leap into action, their blows much heavier now that they're wielding weapons made of (human?) bone. However, whenever Charlie tries to join the fight, he is casually knocked away, the others seeming to actively not engage with him._

Charlie- Hey!

_Amaru fires at a leaping Karasu before avoiding an attack from Lupa on the side. Charlie tries to rush in, but is knocked away by Lupa. He quickly scrambles to his feet, very angry._

Charlie- _Stop it!_

_The others turn to look at him._

Charlie- I'm not _delicate_. Stop trying not to fight me! We're the _Valley_!

_He rushes at them, and Karasu runs to meet him. They clash for a bit, and we hear from Charlie's point of view as the sounds of weapons seem overwhelmingly loud. He stumbles to the ground near the edge of the circle, and is quickly kicked back from the edge._

Charlie- Agh!

_He quickly rolls out the way as an arrow from Amaru flies past. The beating of the crowd's weapons gets louder and louder as Charlie looks around wildly. Karasu looks down nervously._

Karasu- Are you-

_Charlie's nose flares and he jumps up, clashing with a surprised Karasu._

Karasu- Charlie, you-

_Grunting, he slams them to the side. They land roughly, but quickly roll to the side as he slams his mace down over and over. Amaru and Lupa notice as they fight, stopping to run over._

Amaru- Little Lion, you have to-

_He's cut off as Charlie's mace slams into his gut, sending him flying. Lupa freezes, and Charlie looks frantically around the crowd, the sounds now deafening. His mace falls from his hand and clatters to the ground. In a flash, he's running out and pushing through the crowd, disappearing out the door._

Karasu- Charlie!  


_End episode._


	57. Rule the School S3E8

**Episode Eight: Shrinking the Lion**

Synopsis: Lauren fills in for Charlie at the Valley, the gang humors AJ, and the doctor comes for a visit.

_We open on James, Will, and Charlotte standing on a balcony on Forrester, looking down._

Charlotte- He's back here?

James- He came to Forrester this morning. Lupa said there was some sort of incident yesterday.

Will- So are we just going to stand here watching him creepily?

_We see the person they're looking at: Charlie. He's standing by the lake, looking towards the water. Then we see someone walking down the hallways of Forrester, their high heels clicking against the ground. We go back to James, Will, and Charlotte._

Charlotte- So we're back to square one with him?

Will- Be polite. He's very fragile at the moment and-

_A voice with a light Irish accent rings out from behind them, and they turn to see someone pushing past the guards at the door._

Sylvia- Out of the way!

_Enter Sylvia Charlatane, an adult woman with her black hair pulled back into a single long braid. She looks to be in her late thirties or early forties, and wears a comfortable sweater and a floor length floral skirt._

James- Guards, why did you let this woman through?

Guard- She looked authoritative.

_James rolls his eyes as Sylvia marches up to him._

Sylvia- What have you been _doing_?!

Will- Hey! Don't talk to him like that!

Charlotte- Who are you, lady?

_Sylvia hands James a business card._

Sylvia- My name is Dr. Sylvia Charlatane, and I'm here for Charles Notch.

_James squints at the business card._

James- 'Therapeutic psychologist.' What do you want with Charlie?

Sylvia- If I had my way, half the students in this town would be seeing me.

Charlotte- We don't need therapy, thank you very much. We just vent our emotions through warfare.

Sylvia- Well, that's fine for the rest of you idiots, but I've heard what happened to Charles during the 'war.'

Will- How do you know about the-

Sylvia- A doctor has her sources, William.

Will- Ugh. Who are you, my mother?

Sylvia- I wish. I would _never_ have let a child grow up in this awful town!

James- Hey! We don't come to your door and tell you how to treat your patients, you don't tell us how to rule the school!

_Sylvia breathes in, rubbing her head._

Sylvia- The problems with you children are _far_ too systematic for me to solve. But I insist that you send Charles in for an appointment with me today. I can help him.

_James and Will hesitate, exchanging a glance._

Will- It's worth a try…

James- Alright. We'll get him to your office, Dr. Charlatane.

_Sylvia smiles._

Sylvia- I'm not leaving this up to you mini-Machiavellians.

_She goes to the stairs of the balcony, walking down towards Charlie. She stands by him at the water for a while before he looks over at her._

Charlie- Who are you?

_Sylvia hands him a business card._

Sylvia- I'm at this address. Meet me there in two hours or less.

Charlie- 'Therapeutic psychologist?' I don't need-

Sylvia- Come talk to me, and you won't have to worry about being such a burden to everyone anymore.

_It clearly strikes a nerve with Charlie, and Sylvia walks off._

Sylvia- I'll see you then.

_Charlie walks off too as the crew on the balcony watches him._

Charlotte- Well… this might not be the _worst_ thing for him.

James- As a general rule, I don't trust adults.

Will- Oh, you're just mad because she talked back to you.

James- I just don't like being forced to question my right to sovereignty.

Will- I bet Dr. Charlatane was a fine dictator in her youth…

_James picks up a call on his phone._

James- Hello, Karasu… I see…

_He whispers to Will._

James- Apparently the Valley needs Charlie for something today.

Will- Well, tell them he's unavailable at the-

Lauren- I'll do it.

_They turn around to see Lauren standing there and yelp. Lauren plucks the phone out of James' hand._

Lauren- I'll be right there.

_Lauren hangs up, and Charlotte rolls her eyes._

Charlotte- You got here fast.

Lauren- I'll take any reason I can get to go to the Valley.

James- Well, that's just alarming. What if we go to war with them?

Lauren- Then you'll lose.

_Hannah rushes in._

Hannah- Guys! AJ texted me that he was bringing in something called 'Dangerous Dungeons.' What's that?

_James and Charlotte turn pale._

Charlotte- We need to _run_.

Hannah- It can't be _that_ bad…

_James grips Hannah's shoulders._

James- AJ made us play that game for _hours_ when we were younger. He's _way_ too into it.

_Hannah sees Lauren walking away._

Hannah- In that case, I'm going with Lauren.

James- Wait, let me come too!

Lauren- Sorry, I only have one seat on my bike. Char, I can kick off Hannah if you want in.

_Charlotte gives Hannah a dirty look._

Charlotte- Go. This is my _one_ act of kindness to you for the month.

Hannah- Um… thank you?

_As Lauren and Hannah walk away, James turns to the others._

James- It's okay, guys. If we start running now, we might be able to-

AJ- HEY, GUYS!!

_AJ bursts through the doors, Becky following close behind him._

AJ- Guess who brought Dangerous Dungeons to school today! This is gonna be so much fun.

James- You know, AJ, I'm _really_ busy today…

_AJ sniffles slightly and his eyes swell to incredible proportions._

AJ- But… but I thought this could be fun to do as a group…

James- Stay strong, James. Don't give in.

Charlotte- Do I need to shut him down for you, James?

Will- Guys! We can't say no!  


_He places a hand on AJ's shoulder._

Will- We'd _love_ to play with you, AJ.

_James and Charlotte clutch their chests dramatically, and James hisses at Becky._

James- Poison him or something!  


Becky- Sorry, boss. I was promised payment, and besides, this can't be more tedious than working for _you_.

_In desperation, James turns to AJ._

James- Oh, but _AJ_ … there's only four of us to play! The game is so much more fun with more players that it would almost be futile to start without-

AJ- Oh, I already thought of that!

_Hard cut to AJ slamming down a large gameboard in front of a visitation window at the juvenile detention center. Across from the rest of them, Angela curls her lip in disgust._

Angela- _This_ is what you choose to visit me for?

_James whispers to her._

James- I'm so sorry…

_We cut to Lauren and Hannah walking into Maple Valley. They are stopped as Lupa and Karasu fly in front of them, fighting each other._

Hannah- Eep!

_Lupa and Karasu notice them and quickly stop fighting. Lupa blows her hair out of her face._

Lupa- Whew, sorry about that.

Hannah- What's going on? Is there a conflict that needs resolving here?!

Karasu- Relax, Hannah. It was just a warm-up.

Amaru- Lee!  


_Amaru comes from the hallway and pats Lauren on the shoulder._

Amaru- Cookie?

Lauren- Is it poisoned?

_Amaru chuckles._

Amaru- Only one way to find out.

_Lauren rolls her eyes and eats the cookie._

Lupa- Nice of you to bring Karasu's little friend.

_Karasu turns red._

Karasu- Wh-what?! She's not my friend!

Hannah- I'm not?

Amaru- I looked at your phone and it said you called her for an hour last night.

Hannah- We really talked through some of Su's tough feelings!

Lupa- Oh, so _she_ can call you Su?

Karasu- Guuuuuuuys! Stooooooop!

Lauren- Whatever. We're here to fill in for Notch.

Lupa- How is he?

Amaru- We've been trying to give him distance and it's _killing_ us!

Lauren- He's fine, relax. Now what did you need him for?

Lupa- We're having a mock battle!

Karasu- It's nice not constantly being at war, but the Valley needs violence to get by!

Lauren- Sounds perfect!  


Hannah- Um… I don't suppose there's a cheer squad or anything here?

Lupa- What, you can't handle the Valley?

Hannah- Um… preferably not.

Amaru- Karasu, you want her for your team?

Karasu- No way. No offense, Hannah, but I want to win.

Lupa- Great! Lee, you get the weak link!

Karasu- It's only right that we crush the foreigners.

Amaru- Have fun! You have fifteen minutes to plan with your tribe.

_Karasu, Amaru, and Lupa turn around and walk away. Hannah looks nervously at Lauren, whose teeth are gritted._

Hannah- I'm sorry, Lauren! I promise, I'll do my best…

_There's a pause._

Lauren- Don’t worry. I won't let you bring us down… we'll crush them.

Hannah- Um… yay?

_They turn around and walk down the hallway, and we cut to Charlie getting out of his car parked in the driveway of a fairly small house. He walks up to the door, looking at the address in his hands, and rings the doorbell. After a while, Sylvia opens the door, a cup of tea in her hand._

Sylvia- Charles! Thank you for coming!

Charlie- Um, yeah, sure. I was sort of expecting a big white office building or something.

Sylvia- I, erm… don't have an official office at the moment. I've just moved to Ashmount.

_She gestures to some moving boxes behind her._

Sylvia- But a psychologist's work never rests! Come in, come in.

_She ushers Charlie in, and they move to a kitchen table. Sylvia grabs some papers from her kitchen counter and examines them, putting on some reading glasses._

Sylvia- First, we just need to verify that this information is correct.

Charlie- How'd you get information on me?

Sylvia- A doctor has her sources, Charles.

Charlie- Well, ask away, shrink.

Sylvia- Your full name, please?

Charlie- Charlie Hunter Cutie-Pie Notch.

_Sylvia examines her papers._

Sylvia- That's… correct. Your legal guardians?

Charlie- Virginia and Anna-May Notch.

Sylvia- And where do you currently attend school?

Charlie- Maple Valley, but I sometimes spend a day or two at Forrester. We're sort of flexible these days, you know?

Sylvia- …sure. Are you on any medication at the moment?

Charlie- Just an apple a day, doc.

Sylvia- Are you always this comedic, Charles?

Charlie- I try to be.

_A pause._

Sylvia- Why?

_Charlie's smile falters a bit._

Charlie- Um… what?

_Sylvia is silent._

Charlie- Ugh, is this part of your whole shrink shtick?

Sylvia- You could say that.

Charlie- Why does anyone joke, Sylvie?

Sylvia- Please don't call me that. Dr. Charlatane will do.

Charlie- Well, anyway, I joke to make other people feel good. A pretty noble goal, if you ask me.

Sylvia- Understood.

_She jots down some notes._

Charlie- No follow up questions?

Sylvia- Charles, we're just here to explore your feelings. Do you have something you'd like to talk about?

Charlie- You… you said that you could help me stop being a burden…

_Sylvia sighs._

Sylvia- To be honest, that was just to get you in the door, but your reaction was quite telling.

Charlie- So can you help me or not?

Sylvia- I can't make you _be_ anything. But I can help you find the source of these feelings and potentially deal with them.

Charlie- Well, that just sounds complicated.

Sylvia- That's psychology, Charles. Now, forgive me for being a little new in town, but can you please explain what your school experience is like?

Charlie- Sure thing!

_Hard cut to a black screen with the words 'One Hour Later.' Then we see a visibly disturbed Sylvia facing a smiling Charlie._

Charlie- And that about sums it up.

Sylvia- I…I… I don't even know what to say.

Charlie- Was I not detailed enough? My moms have some old Valley records if you-

Sylvia- That's quite alright, thank you. Now, Karasu, they're the one that betrayed you to the enemy?

Charlie- Correct.

Sylvia- And you're still friends with them?

Charlie- Look, shrink, clearly you don't get how things work around here. Trust me, everyone's fine with the status quo.

Sylvia- Is that the schools are constantly on the brink of war?

Charlie- Point taken. I'll relay that note to James and Will.

  
Sylvia- Well, there's clearly some vast systemic and structural issues here that I'm in no position to change, so why don't you just tell me about the most recent incident.

Charlie- Incident?

Sylvia- I heard you ran away during an important ceremony of sorts. From what I've heard, that doesn't sound like you.

Charlie- Who exactly did you hear this from?

Sylvia- A doctor has her sources.

Charlie- What is there to say about the 'incident?' I got spooked, I ran.

Sylvia- You've been attending a school where students commit violence on the regular for years now, and you suddenly just 'got spooked?'

_Charlie sputters a bit._

Charlie- The war hurt all of us, shrink. It wasn't just me.

Sylvia- But we're talking about you right now, Charles. So I think it's time you tell me exactly what happened during the war…

_She leans forward and Charlie squirms in his seat a bit. We cut to AJ handing various sheets of paper to a prison guard, who then hands them to Angela._

AJ- Ok, so these are the classes! You can pick one of them and-

Angela- Barbarian.

James- Really, Angela? You?

_Angela raises an eyebrow._

Angela- Prison's hardened me, James.

Will- You have a luxury cell with-

Angela- I have a lot of repressed anger at society. Let me have this.

AJ- Well, fine, then.

Becky- It says here that rogues get poison. I want the poison.

AJ- Um, okay, and-

James- We can use the classes I wrote up, right?

AJ- I don't know if-

Charlotte- I'm a hacker, then.

AJ- This is medieval times, Charlotte.

Charlotte- I'm a hacker.

James- I'm a politician, then.

AJ- But I didn't plan for-

Will- It's ok, AJ. This bard class seems cool.

AJ- Oh, yeah! It is! Let me just explain the rules real quick.

_Black screen with 'Four Hours Later' on it. Then we cut back to AJ excitedly finishing his explanation._

AJ- And those are the basics!

Becky- That was…

Charlotte- Try hearing it for the twentieth time like we are!

AJ- Ok, then!

Angela- Wait! I drew my character.

_She turns around a piece of paper with a very good drawing of a taller Angela wearing a pink leather jacket and a diamond encrusted battle-axes._

Angela- She has a pink leather jacket and a bedazzled battle-axe!

Will- That's really good, Angela.

Angela- You pick up a lot of hobbies in imprisonment. I can also crochet, make pancakes, and I can make a mean friendship bracelet.

Becky- You've been in prison for like, a month.

Angela- Just let me languish in my own misery.

_AJ gestures dramatically._

AJ- And so our story begins…

_We cut to a fantasy marketplace, where Angela as her character, Will in traditional medieval attire, James in a three-piece suit, Charlotte in a tracksuit. AJ's voice sounds from the clouds._

AJ- Becky? What do you look like?

Becky- Oh, I'm invisible. I rolled a twenty on my stealth roll.

AJ- Well, fine then. You have been called to a small town to investigate some murders. You enter in a marketplace-

Charlotte- I hack it.

AJ- What? You can't hack a-

Charlotte- I rolled a twenty.

_The marketplace suddenly starts glitching out._

Angela- I smash the stalls.

AJ- But you haven't-

Angela- I smash them!

_Fantasy Angela begins smashing all the stalls near her._

AJ- The rest of you… an elf approaches you.

Becky- I poison them.

_The elf suddenly falls limp on the floor._

James- I analyze the marketplace's current stock prices and determine how best to ruin their economy.

AJ- You can't-

James- I rolled a twenty.

AJ- Ugh! Will, what are you doing?

Will- Um… I'm a bard. I sing!

_Fantasy Will begins to sing._

Will- La la la la la la!

AJ- The city guard has noticed you guys and moves to attack.

Charlotte- I hack them.

Becky- I poison them.

Angela- I decapitate them.

James- I humiliate them on live television.

Will- I'm still singing.

_Hard cut to one hour later. The gang is walking over a pile of bodies to the steps of the palace._

AJ- You see the king in his throne room-

Angela- Ooh! Can he have an eye patch? And a cape? And a pet snake?

AJ- Um, sure…

_The king turns into the Whisperer._

AJ- He says to you… 'Well done on your first test! Now-"

Charlotte- I hack him.

Angela- I smash him.

AJ- You can't-

Charlotte- I rolled a twenty.

_Cut back to the real world, where AJ looks shocked._

AJ- You… you hack him, I guess.

_We cut to Lauren and Hannah in a team huddle with the Sunlions._

Richard- Alright, everyone, we understand the name of the game? Every team captain has a flag, and the goal is to take them down.

Rita- The only catch is that only another captain can tag them out. So protect the captain at all costs.

_They look up to Lauren._

Lauren- I can protect myself, thank you very much.

Hannah- And we have a plan!

_Xander glances at Hannah._

Xander- Remind me who this small plushie of a human is?

Richard- And not to place blame on our guests, but the other tribes will certainly be targeting the outsiders.

Xander- You just placed blame on them, Richard.

Richard- I did not!

Rita- Guys… Richard is talking to the witch…

Lauren- Shut up, guys! Just stick to our methodical and complex plan!

_Hard cut to Lauren running into a large group of enemies, away from the rest of the team._

Lauren- ARGH!

Hannah- Lauren, that is _not_ the plan!

Richard- Ugh, just let her go. We can still-

_Hannah takes off towards Lauren._

Rita- Wait!

_Rita runs after her, and Xander and Richard exchange a glance._

Xander- Let them perish?

Richard- Let them perish.

_Lauren is deep in enemy lines, but Rita and Hannah eventually manage to make their way to her as she kicks a Redclaw into the wall. In the background, other tribes fight, including Julio fighting a girl that seems to be levitating._

Lauren- Guys, I've got this!

Hannah- But what about our _plan_?!

Rita- Clearly you haven't spent much time at the Valley.

Lauren- Hannah, this will be good for your constitution.

Hannah- Um, whatever you say, Laur-

Lauren- DUCK!

_Hannah yelps and ducks as an enemy swings overhead. The girls look around and find that they're surrounded._

Rita- I love violence as much as the next girl, but we're a little surrounded.

_The enemies part as Amaru, Lupa, and Karasu stroll through._

Lauren- Ugh, they've got those dumb Valley smirks on.

Lupa- Beating up outsiders is the one thing that unites us!

Hannah- Su? Any chance we can-

Karasu- Nope. No hard feelings, though.

Amaru- Attack them!

Lauren- Hannah, I'm too strong to yelp. Yelp for me.

_Hannah yelps and the three of them run off as the Valley forces pursue them. Meanwhile, Xander and Richard play cards in the corner._

Xander- Well, they're dead.

Richard- Nothing we could do about it.

_We cut to the fantasy world as a hacked, garbled, giant Whisperer rides a dragon across an ocean of milk. James is examining stocks on the back of a giant spider, Charlotte is typing on a bear that is also a laptop, invisible Becky is taking shots of poison, Angela is riding a giant pink wolf and battling the Whisperer, and Will is pouring his heart out at karaoke with a microphone on a nearby mountain._

AJ- How did I let this game get this far?

James- I want to call my stock manager and tell him to invest in healing potions.

Charlotte- I want to hack something.

Angela- I keep smashing the Whisper- I mean the king.

_We cut back to the real world, where AJ is flabbergasted._

AJ- Um… uh… give me a second.

_He gathers up a paper and pen and heads out of the room, muttering to himself._

Angela- What's he doing?

Charlotte- Probably trying to salvage something out of this game.

_James stands up and dusts off his hands._

James- Well, we succeeded. Time to go.

Becky- Succeeded at what?

Charlotte- Oh, every time AJ makes us play Dangerous Dungeons, we try to derail it as much as possible so he'll give up.

_Will gasps._

Will- What? That's horrible!

_He looks at the others, who have no reaction._

Angela- I don't have to think about morality. I'm already in prison.

Becky- I technically _should_ think about morality, I just don't.

James- Look, Will, we've played this game _so_ many times and-

Will- Shush! No excuses. Jamie, you may be a dictator at school, but this is _not_ how we treat our friends!

Charlotte- Jamie?

James- Will… don't embarrass me…

Will- Think about how much AJ has done for you!

_James stares at him blankly._

  
Will- Okay, think about how much AJ has _tried_ to do for you. He's one of your oldest friends, James, and I think he deserves this.

_James and Will stare each other down for a second before James backs down._

James- _Fine_. I _guess_ we can play along. We… we did used to have fun with this game.

_James looks pointedly at Charlotte._

Charlotte- Don't look at me. I'm only under contract to be friends with James.

_A pause._

Charlotte- Ugh, _fine._ The law of transitive friendship compels me.

Angela- I'll do whatever you want if it makes you stick around longer.

Will- Aw, Angela loves us!  


Angela- No, I just hate the crushing silence and abject misery I experience every day here.

Becky- Well, this is very cute, but I think I'll-

James- Becky, do this and I might start paying you.

_Becky grimaces._

Becky- I know you won't follow through on it… but what better things do I have to do?

_Will goes up to the door._

Will- AJ!

_AJ bursts out, covered in various sheets of paper with scribbles._

AJ- It's okay! I've almost figured out how to work around you guys! It only took throwing out my entire idea!

Will- AJ, I think maybe we should start over.

_Will gestures to James, who is trying to disappear into his seat._

Will- _James_.

James- We…we… we want to play the game your way, AJ.

_AJ lights up._

AJ- Really?

Becky- Well, I don't.

James- Shut up, Becky.

_AJ peels a piece of paper off his face._

AJ- This is gonna be so much fun!

_James fights it, but eventually a small smile breaks through. Will bends down to whisper to him._

Will- You can just say that I'm always right.

James- I… I would never _say_ that.

_We cut to Lauren, Hannah, and Rita being chased down the halls of the Valley by Amaru, Lupa, and Karasu._

Lauren- If I give you Hannah, can we call it even?

Hannah- Hey!  


Lupa- Karasu, keep chasing them!

_She pulls Amaru off to the side, and Karasu rolls their eyes, but continues their pursuit of the girls. Lauren and Rita have to turn around to block their strike, and Hannah inadvertently gets in Lauren's way._

Lauren- Agh! Get away!

_Hannah stumbles over herself as she rounds a corner. Karasu glances at her but doesn't follow._

Rita- Lee! Hold your ground!

_Lauren and Rita skid to a halt, spinning around and slamming into Karasu with a double axe swing._

Karasu- Oof!

_Lauren and Rita high five._

Lauren- Nice one, Nzuyen.

Rita- You should come around more often, Lee.

_They stop when they hear a clattering noise. Rita goes pale._

Rita- Oh, no…

Lauren- What is-

Lupa- COMING THROUGH!

_A horse-drawn chariot clatters around the corner. Lupa and Amaru are standing inside with crazed eyes, and Karasu quickly gets out of the way and jumps in._

Lauren and Rita- AAAAAAH!

Karasu- Where did you get a chariot?

Lupa- The stables, duh!

Karasu- Every day, I learn something new about this school…

_Lauren and Rita scramble down the halls and around corners as the chariot clatters through and Amaru shoots at them._

Rita- Really, Lupes? Is this necessary?!

Lupa- Hey, you're the one that chose to stick with the Forrester girl!  


Lauren- Mancini, we literally worked out together yesterday!

Rita- Whatever. You're on your own, Lee.

Lauren- Disloyal swine!

_Rita runs back, letting Lupa pull her up into the chariot. Eventually Lauren is backed into the corner, and the Valley gang dismounts, smirking. Lauren rolls her eyes._

Lauren- Congratulations. All of you plus a literal chariot managed to corner one Forrester girl.

_Lupa, Karasu, and Amaru smugly hold up their flags._

Amaru- Show us your flag, Lee.

_Lauren shakes her head._

Lauren- I still think I can take you guys.

_Lupa laughs, and Amaru nocks his bow._

Rita- Just give up. We all know you've got nothing up your sleeve this time.

Lauren- Well, if I did, I wouldn't tell you. You Valley folk don't trust us, we don't trust you.

_She holds out her hands._

Lauren- So I never told you that I didn't have the flag.

_Lauren tosses her axe up, and while everyone is looking up, Hannah comes running up from behind them, clutching the yellow flag. She quickly grabs the flags from the other three and joins Lauren. They high five._

Lupa- Gasp! The runt we underestimated turned out to be our greatest threat! How cinematic!

Lauren- Nice job, Hannah.

Hannah- Erm, of course, happy to help! Now _please_ tell me this whole battle thing is over.

Amaru- Victory to the Sunlions! Well done!

Karasu- Whatever. Let's go eat or something.

Hannah- Ooh, sounds fun!

_All of them walk out, and as Karasu tries to grab one of the flags, Hannah pulls them away. We cut to Charlie and Sylvia talking. Sylvia is intently looking at him, much more visibly interested than she has been thus far. Charlie squirms in his seat a bit._

Sylvia- Surely you have to remember _something_ about your time in captivity…

Charlie- It's… it's all a bit of a blur, doc.

Sylvia- You were captured by someone going by 'the Whisperer' and then… what did he do to you?

_Charlie's eye twitches._

Charlie- I'm telling you… I _don't remember_.

_Sylvia narrows her eyes._

Sylvia- A bit odd, don't you think? It seems like something one would remember…

Charlie- What's your point?

Sylvia- I can't believe I'm asking this to a child, but were you excessively injured during your imprisonment? Physical trauma could explain the gaps in your memory…

Charlie- Lady… I _don't_ want to think about it.

_A pause._

Sylvia- Please do.

Charlie- Darn my inherent hospitality.

_He squints as he tries to recall._

Charlie- I…um…no. There weren't any bad injuries.

_He sheepishly scratches his neck._

Charlie- Nothing I couldn't get at the Valley, anyway.

_Sylvia rubs her temples._

Sylvia- I don't even… how am I supposed to establish a baseline for a _normal person_ in this town!

_She tosses some of her papers up, and Charlie purses his lips._

Charlie- You okay, doc?

Sylvia- I'm fine, I'm fine. We just need to figure out what exactly happened to you.

Charlie- But, shrink, it kinda…

_Sylvia leans forward._

Sylvia- Yes?

Charlie- It kinda hurts to think about…

Sylvia- This is good, this is good. Go on.

Charlie- Um… I mean, like, every time I try to think back to that time with _him_ , my brain just starts to hurt…

Sylvia- Is there more?

Charlie- And… and I hear stuff.

Sylvia- What do you hear, Charles?

Charlie- I, uh… I hear _him_.

_Sylvia's eyes widen._

Sylvia- Charles… what does he say to you?

Charlie- What?

Sylvia- These… these are clearly hallucinations of sort, but it can still be beneficial to understand them.

Charlie- I… I don't listen to them, shrink. They're quiet, like-

Sylvia- Like whispers.

_A pause._

Sylvia- Focus, Charles. See if you can listen to him.

Charlie- Dr. Charlatane, I don't know if-

Sylvia- This can help you, Charles. _I_ can help you.

_Hesitantly, Charlie closes his eyes and concentrates. We see the darkness from his perspective, with a low humming that eventually grows in volume to inaudible whispers. In the darkness, there's flashes of bright color. Charlie grips his head._

Charlie- Agh! It hurts!

_Sylvia gets up and stands by Charlie, leaning over him._

Sylvia- Don't stop. Keep listening… keep listening.

_The flashes of color grow more and more frequent, and Charlie starts hyperventilating._

Charlie- I can't-I can't-I can't-I can't-

Sylvia- You can, Charles. WHAT DOES HE SAY?!

_The colors start to swirl in the darkness, forming a very familiar eye. The whispers coalesce into a shout._

Whisperer (voice)- LET ME-

_Charlie keels over, clearly in a lot of pain. He is breathing extremely quickly and falls out of his chair._

Sylvia- Charles!

_After a few moments, Charlie's breathing begins to slow down to give way to breathy sobs as he stays on the ground. Sylvia looks over him, adjusting her glasses._

Sylvia- Very interesting. I-I mean… are you all right?

_She holds out a hand to help him up, and after a moment of hesitation, he takes it. Charlie wipes his face as he breathes shakily._

Charlie- I, um… I… I don't-

Sylvia- There's no need. That was clearly very painful for you… but it gave me the information I needed to continue our work.

_She looks intently into his eyes._

Sylvia- I believe that I can help you work through this, Charles. Are you willing to accept my assistance?

_Charlie slowly nods, and Sylvia smiles._

Sylvia- I think it would be excellent if we could meet here the same time next week. Does that sound alright to you.

_Once again, Charlie just nods, and Sylvia jots down a note._

Sylvia- You'd best be on your way now. Be sure to get a good night's sleep.

_Charlie just keeps nodding until he's out the door. He makes his way to his car, and just sits inside for a second, hugging himself to protect from a cold that's not there. His hands shake until he clenches them into fists._

Charlie- I'm fine.

_End episode._


	58. Rule the School S3E9

**Episode Nine: I Can Feel It**

Synopsis: Charlie is fine. He swears.

_We open on Charlie running through a black expanse, panting as he looks around, panicked._

Charlie- Where are you?!

_Color swirl and a voice rings out._

Whisperer- Everywhere. And nowhere.

Charlie- What does that mean?

Whisperer- I don't know. But it _does_ sound pretentious, doesn't it?

_A cage with a little girl inside appears in front of Charlie._

Girl- Please let me out…

Charlie- I…

_Charlie opens the cage, and the girl immediately morphs into a tiger that leaps on him._

Charlie- AH!

_Charlie rolls around with the tiger for a second before it dissolves into beams of colors that toss Charlie up and down and all around until they carry him above a large, seemingly bottomless pit._

Charlie- No…

_Charlie is dropped and begins to fall down._

Charlie- AAAAAAH!

_Charlie wakes with a start in his bed, banging his head against on Anna-May's._

Anna-May- Ow! Son of a bee!

_Charlie groans and gets out of bed._

Anna-May- Young man! Aren't you going to apologize for slamming your mother with that big noggin of yours?

_Charlie just rubs his head and keeps walking, but the ceiling above him explodes and Virginia drops down._

Virginia- Charlie Hunter Cutie-Pie Notch! Say sorry to your mother!

_Charlie looks back._

Charlie- Sorry, mom.

Anna-May- Now go eat your breakfast, Char-Char.

_Charlie walks out of the room, and Anna-May glances at Virginia._

Anna-May- Honey, did you use explosives to blow up part of our ceiling?

Virginia- I thought it was time to redecorate. We can work it together!

_Anna-May smiles and plants a kiss on Virginia's cheek._

Anna-May- You're so thoughtful!

_We cut to James and Will on a video call with Sylvia in their office._

James- How did it go?

Sylvia- Surely you know that the first rule of psychology is not to share session details with others unless absolutely necessary.

James- But we _need_ to know.

_Sylvia raises her eyebrows._

Sylvia- Don't tell me you care about Charles, Mr. 'Almighty God-Emperor.'

Will- Hey, that title tested poorly with focus groups and was scrapped in beta!

_James sputters._

James- I-um-uh… Charlie's a valuable asset, okay! We can't afford to have him in a messed up state!

_Sylvia rolls her eyes._

Sylvia- Right. Should I book you for next week to talk about your issues with vulnerability?

Will- I _know_ , right? It took me two seasons and a musical number to win him over!

Sylvia- You deserve _so_ much better than him, William.

_Will sniffles._

Will- He's the greatest curse I could ask for.

James- Hey!

Sylvia- Look, Mr. Orwick. I _can_ tell you that progress was made last night. If you stay in your lane and keep oppressing children, I can stay in mine and keep helping them.

James- _Oppression_?! It's libera-

Sylvia- Goodbye.

_We see on Sylvia's end as she hangs up, then stands up and goes over to sip on some tea and walk to some moving boxes. She brushes them aside to reveal a cobbled together collection of screens, levers, and buttons. She presses some of the buttons and the screen lights up with the words 'Charles Notch: Session 01.'_

Sylvia- Come on… show it to me…

_A map of brainwaves pops up. The waves are extremely close together, and Sylvia narrows her eyes._

Sylvia- What have we here?

_She presses more buttons, and eventually a yellow line and a pink line highlight different parts of the brainwaves._

Sylvia- It-it is…

_She presses another button and the brainwave graph separates into two separate ones, one far less frequent than the other. Sylvia smiles, and goes to pick up another tea packet to make. It read 'Tea for Two.' We cut to Charlie entering Maple Valley, and no sooner does he walk in the doors when Karasu lands on his shoulders from the ceiling._

Karasu- Charlie!

Charlie- Bwah!

_Charlie stumbles forwards, causing Su to tumble to the floor._

Karasu- Agh!

Charlie- Sorry!

Karasu- Don't be sorry for me… Lupa's next.

Charlie- What?

Lupa- AHA!

_Lupa comes crashing down from the ceiling too, landing on Charlie's shoulders and promptly crushing him to the ground. Amaru lands on Lupa, and they all laugh._

Charlie- Can't… breathe.

_Charlie roughly pushes Amaru and Lupa off of him._

Amaru- Ouch!

Lupa- Hey! You love Friendship Bombs!

_Karasu glares at Amaru and Lupa, and they straighten up._

Amaru- Right, um, anyway… how are you feeling today?

Charlie- I'm fine.

Karasu- Um, okay. We heard you visited some sort of doctor… how did that go?

Charlie- It went fine.

Lupa- And what-

Charlie- It was fine!

Lupa- Really? What did you think when Karen dumped Michelle? They've been together for three seasons!

Charlie- What?

Lupa- I was going to ask what you thought of the latest episode of _High School Dictators._

Karasu- Lupa, nobody watches that show.

Amaru- It makes no sense and it takes weird dives into other genres.

_Lupa droops her head as Charlie sighs and walks away._

Karasu- Hey, Charlie-

Charlie- I'll see y'all later. I'm going to go hang with the Sunlions.

_The other three look at each other._

Amaru- Are you all thinking what I'm thinking?

Karasu- We should go talk to him?

Lupa- We should break into that therapist's office?

Amaru- The second one.

_Karasu frowns._

Amaru- But your idea was good too, Su.

Karasu- Yes to the compliment, no to the nickname.

Amaru- My brain can't understand the nuance of that, so I'll assume you loved every part of that sentence.

_Karasu growls, but just rolls their eyes._

Karasu- Breaking in it is, then.

_We cut to Charlotte flipping through a book on Marxism when AJ appears over her shoulder._

AJ- Hey Charlotte!

Charlotte- Gah!  


_She looks with disdain at him._

Charlotte- What are you doing here?

AJ- I came to get those books on political theory.

Charlotte- Ugh. Just take them.

_AJ grabs a handful of books, then peers at Charlotte's computer screen, where feed from security cameras is showing._

AJ- What's that?

Charlotte- My favorite show, obviously.

AJ- Really?

Charlotte- No, they're security cameras, peon.

AJ- Peon?

Charlotte- Honestly, I think reading about class struggles has just reaffirmed my desire to be above others.

AJ- It says this footage is from… from the time when Charlie was captured.

Charlotte- Oh, is it?

AJ- What are you doing with this stuff?

_Charlotte sighs._

AJ- You're trying to figure out what happened to him…

Charlotte- Wow, _someone's_ a detective.

_She pauses._

Charlotte- I just, um… it's the least I can do, right?

_AJ pouts._

AJ- You've never searched camera footage for _me_.

Charlotte- I gave you back that stuffed rabbit after I stole it for five months.

AJ- _You_ stole Mr. Ragababy!?

Charlotte- Shut up. Besides, this footage is useless. Everything from the relevant rooms has been retroactively deleted.

AJ- Huh. How mysterious.

_He slowly pulls out a monocle._

AJ- This looks like a job for Detective AJ!

Charlotte- No, no, no. We're not doing that. Go read your books.

AJ- You're right. I need to educate myself politically and remove my comedic presence from this relatively serious and ominous episode.

_AJ gathers the books and walks out, and Charlotte sighs. We cut to Charlie and Richard dueling with swords in Sunlion headquarters as Rita and Xander watch._

Richard- Ha! Aha! Parry! Thrust!

Rita- Less talking, more doing actual cool stuff!

Xander- You can do it. I'll let you guys decide which one I'm talking to.

Rita- What's that about a dog and a shark falling in love?

_Xander looks at Rita confusedly, and she beams with pride._

Rita- I've been learning your devil language!

_Richard and Charlie continue to fight, with Richard having the clear upper hand._

Richard- You aren't going _easy_ on me, are you sir?

Charlie- What? I mean, no… I don't think so.

Richard- Must just have lost your touch, then.

_Richard swiftly disarms Charlie and knocks him back, smirking smugly._

Rita- Richard wins!  


Xander- Unfortunately.

Richard- Hey!

_Charlie rubs his head, breathing heavily._

Charlie- I shouldn't have lost…

Richard- Just give me this victory, sir. I so rarely get them anyway.

Xander- Darn it. Beat me to it.

Charlie- I _don't_ lose.

_He straightens up, his eyes colder than normal._

Charlie- Sunlions! Show Richie what happens when you mess with the leader…

Rita- Um, what?

Xander- No thanks.

_Other Sunlions move forwards to fight Richard._

Richard- Seriously, sir?

_Charlie gestures for more Lions to join the fight, and Richard's eyes widen._

Richard- Sir, maybe you shouldn't-

_He's interrupted as he has to defend himself against some of the Lions halfheartedly attacking him. They begin to overwhelm him until he scrambles back._

Richard- Charlie! What are you _doing_?

_Charlie snaps out of it._

Charlie- Guys, stop!

_The Sunlions cease, and they all look confusedly at Charlie._

Rita- Um… what gives, Notch?

Xander- Talk to us.

Rita- Xander, what do winged narwhals have to do with-

Richard- Shut up, you two.

Xander- I literally can't talk.

Richard- Sir…?

_Charlie is just looking frantically around the room, his breathing picking up._

Charlie- I-I-I-I-I…

_He turns heel and runs out of the room._

Rita- Notch!

Richard- Sir!

Xander- You're my ride home from school today…

_We cut to Sylvia writing down some notes on a torn sheet of paper. She hums until she turns around to see Amaru, Lupa, and Karasu._

Sylvia- Agh! You almost made me spill my tea!

Lupa- We have questions!

Sylvia- How did you get into my home?

Karasu- We broke through the wall.

Sylvia- But-

_Lupa pulls apart a portion of the wall to reveal that it is actually curtains covering a hole._

Lupa- Aha! Theatre magic!

Karasu- And we snuck in undetected because we're masters of stealth!

Amaru- And that tea… is poisoned!  


Sylvia- No, it's not.

Amaru- You're right, but wouldn't it have been cool if it was?

Sylvia- Who are you and what do you want?

Lupa- We're from the Valley, and we want to know why Charlie's been acting so weird!

Sylvia- Oh, you must be those friends he mentioned.

Karasu- He mentioned us? What did he say about me?

Sylvia- Have you never heard of doctor-patient confidentiality?

_The three of them look blankly at her._

Sylvia- What do they teach you in these schools?

Lupa- I can break wood with my big toe.

_Sylvia sighs._

Sylvia- Well, clearly none of you have any idea how therapy works. He's not going to be back to normal with the snap of a finger. These things take time.

Lupa- Impossible!

Amaru- Maybe we need to search this place…

_Amaru walks over to some of the moving boxes, and Sylvia's eyes widen._

Sylvia- Actually… he might have said some things about you all.

Karasu- Yeah?

Sylvia- You three are putting a _lot_ of pressure on him. He says he feels constrained into one role and mood, and that he feels he can't really express his feelings around you.

_The three Valley's leader's eyes go wide, and Karasu looks like they're about to cry._

Karasu- He… he said that?

Sylvia- Not in those exact words, but a doctor can tell.

Amaru- But that's not true!

Lupa- We need to go Friendship Bomb him again and tell him this is all a mistake!

_Lupa tucks Karasu and Amaru under her arms and barrels back out of the hole in the wall. Sylvia purses her lips, an unreadable expression on her face. We cut to Charlie having a bag pulled off his head as he sits across from Charlotte and Hannah._

Charlie- Gah! Where am I!?

Charlotte- What's the last thing you remember.

Charlie- I was walking when I felt some pain in the back of my head and everything went black.

Hannah- Honestly, Charlie, I think Charlotte uncomfortable just asking us to hang out so she kidnaps us instead.

Charlotte- Not true!

Charlie- Why am I here?

Charlotte- Well, not that I secretly installed cameras in Maple Valley, but I just wanted to, um, know… are you feeling okay.

_Charlie's eye twitches._

Charlie- I'm _fine_.

Charlotte- Um… okay.

_Charlotte leans over and hisses at Hannah._

Charlotte- This is why I took you, too! Make this better!

Hannah- And here I thought you wanted some girl's bonding time.

_Hannah looks at Charlie._

Hannah- Charlie, it's totally fine if you don't want to talk to us-

Charlie- It is? Great, bye!

_He starts to stand up._

Hannah- Don't you think that's a little rude!?

Charlie- You just said it was okay!

_Charlie shakes his head._

Charlie- I mean… I'm sorry. I don't know what got into me.

_Charlotte and Hannah give each other a concerned side eye._

Charlotte- So, um, I was lying earlier when I said I didn't put camera in the-

Charlie and Hannah- We know, Charlotte.

Charlotte- I saw what happened back there…

_Dead silence._

Charlie- _And_?

_Charlotte sighs._

Charlotte- Why did I make myself do this, _why_ did I make myself do this?

_Hannah places a hand on Charlotte's shoulder and turns to Charlie._

Hannah- We know it's been a difficult time for you lately, Charlie. If you could just talk to us about it, maybe we could figure out how we can help.

_Charlie is silent for a second, looking down._

Hannah- We could-

Charlie- You want to know how you can help?! Stop _bothering_ me! Stop trying to fix things! Just STOP!

_There's another period of silence._

Charlotte- I, um, uh…Charlie…

_Charlie gets up, rubbing his head, and exits. Hannah and Charlotte are silent, shocked._

Charlotte- I…

_Hannah rubs Charlotte's shoulder._

Hannah- I know, Charlotte. You tried.

_We cut to Charlie walking in the empty Forrester cafeteria when suddenly James and Will jump down on bungee cords in front on him._

James and Will- Charlie!

Charlie- WHAT?!

Will- Hold on.

_They bounce back up, and when they come back down, they unbuckle themselves and thump to the ground, quickly bouncing back up._

Charlie- Should I even ask y'all about the bungee cord?

James- It was Will's idea.

Will- I thought it would make for a dramatic entrance.

James- Now, Charlie, we were wondering-

Charlie- I'm fine! For once today, can somebody believe me!?

_Will and James exchange a look, and Will chooses his words carefully._

Will- Of course, Charlie. Now, for totally unrelated reasons, we booked you a free acupuncture session.

Charlie- I didn't know anyone in this town did acupuncture.

_Becky appears from behind Charlie, brandishing several needles._

Becky- You're about to.

_She pokes a needle into Charlie and he immediately passes out._

James- He passed out! Is that… good?

Becky- …sure.

_As Becky struggles to drag Charlie off, James and Will sigh, and Will looks at James._

Will- So… what are you doing right now?

_Hard cut to Charlie waking up with a start as Becky pokes another needle into him._

Becky- Hold still! Or, at least, I think that's what you're supposed to do.

Charlie- Get off of me!

Becky- No way. I was promised a slight chance of being paid if I agreed to see this through.

_Charlie rolls off the table and Becky pursues him with needles. We cut to Charlie opening the door to the office and walking in on James sitting on Will's lap as they kiss. James freezes and turns bright red._

James- Charlie! Um, we were just-

Will- Making out. We were making out.

James- Will!

Charlie- Can you _please_ tell Becky to leave me alone.

James- You're not enjoying the acupuncture? We spent lots of time setting it up.

Charlie- How much time?

Will- We gave Becky needles and told her to stab you.

_A needle sinks into the wood above Charlie's head, and he yelps._

Charlie- Where's Lee!?

James- Um, downstairs.

Charlie- Bye!

_Charlie rushes away as Becky runs up to the door wielding her needles._

Becky- Still need me to stab him?

Will- I think we're okay.

_Will tosses a twenty dollar bill on the ground._

Becky- I'm not picking that up off the ground.

James- Yes, you are.

Becky- Orwick, you gave me thirty needles and I only used ten of them.

_James gulps._

James- Let me get that for you.

_We cut to Lauren slamming some criminals' heads into the wall when Charlie runs down the stairs to them._

Lauren- Notch! Wanna help me smash these criminals' faces in?

Charlie- Um, not really…

Lauren- Come on! It'll be fun!

_Charlie hesitates, but walks forward and sighs._

Charlie- Why not?

_Charlie jumps into battle using only his fists, and he and Lauren take out a large swathe of criminals. Charlie begins to slow down._

Charlie- Lee, I don't know about-

Lauren- Just get into it! Stop thinking.

_Charlie nods, and when he returns to battle, he eventually begins to smile. His punches become harder, and when he dodges an attack from the last criminal, he snarls and leaps on them, hitting them hard over and over. Lauren rolls her eyes._

Lauren- Not _that_ into it, Notch. That's enough.

_Charlie ignores her, and Lauren appears confused, walking over to him and trying to tug him off._

Lauren- Hey, James and Will might want to interrogate him or something… Notch! Get _off_!

_She pulls on him, and he turns around, hitting her back hard. Lauren has the wind knocked out of her, and looks up to see Charlie looking extremely panicked._

Lauren- Hey… Charlie…

Charlie- I-I-I…

Charlotte- Charlie!

_Charlie turns to see Charlotte and Hannah running._

Charlotte- I have a speech prepared now! No need for me to come up with emotional stuff on the spot.

James- Charlie!

_Charlie whirls around to see James, Will, and Becky running towards him._

Will- Me and James finally finished our… activities.

James- We're ready to talk now.

Karasu- Charlie!

_Charlie turns to see Lupa, Karasu, and Amaru running towards him, and his eyes widen._

Amaru- Are we smothering you?

Lupa- Are we forcing you to be someone else?

Karasu- Are we hurting you?

Charlie- What?

_Charlie looks back and forth as everyone chatters at him, completely surrounding him._

Charlie- Guys, I don't-

Charlotte- Martin Luther King Jr. once said-

Lauren- What's going on with you?

Karasu- How do you need us to change?

James- We can embezzle some funds and renovate your house!

Charlie- I don't- I don't- I don't- I don't…

_Everyone keeps chattering and Charlie breathes faster and faster._

Charlie- I'm fine! I'm fine, I'm fine, I'm fine!

_Everyone pauses and is silent. Charlie catches his breath._

Charlie- I'm fine, and I'm tired. I'm going home.

Karasu- Charlie…

Charlie- I'm going home! I'll be back tomorrow!

_Charlie runs out, and everyone else just looks a little awkwardly at each other. AJ burst down from the stairs._

AJ- I heard noises! Did I miss something?

_We cut to Charlie storming into his house while Anna-May and Virginia play cards._

Virginia- Don't worry, honey! We'll have that ceiling hole fixed in no-

Charlie- I'm fine!

Virginia- I didn't ask, but okay, honey!

Anna-May- We left some cookies up in your room! They're homemade!

Virginia- Not by us, though. By Kelsey Nielsen's mom. That brat didn't deserve them for her birthday party, anyway.

_Charlie just walks up the stairs, and Virginia and Anna-May look at each other._

Anna-May- Char-Char seems stressed.

Virginia- Let's make him Lion Eggs tomorrow morning!

Anna-May- He'll love that!

_We cut to later at night, as Charlie sleeps. We see him at the bottom of the pit he was thrown into, but a surface of rock appears in front of him. Voices call out._

Lupa- Get up, Charlie.

Karasu- You can do it…

_Almost as if in a trance, Charlie walks over to the wall and begins to climb. Whispers that we can't hear float around him, and the swirl of colors creeps behind him as he climbs. As he nears the top, he sees familiar faces- his friends, his moms. He smiles._

Charlie- I'm coming…

_As his hand touches to the top, the images of his loved ones become blurry and he frowns. The colors rush past him as a new figure forms, a far less friendly one. The figure grips Charlie's hand and leans down to him as his face becomes visible._

Whisperer- Goodbye.

_Charlie is thrown back into the pit. His mouth is open as he falls, but no sound leaves him. Back in his bed, Charlie Notch* opens his eyes, but they have familiar multicolored splinter to them…_

_*may or may not be Charlie Notch_

_End episode_


	59. The Bulletin S1E1

**Episode One: The Café on the Corner**

Synopsis: Charlotte and Lauren look for a part time job; Becky drowns her sorrows.

_We open on Charlotte and Lauren lying on Charlotte's bed. Lauren tosses a ball up and down, sighing. Charlotte reads a book, and the clock ticks for a few seconds before Lauren sits up, grabbing Charlotte and shaking her._

Lauren- Ugh! I'm _bored_ , Char!

Charlotte- Great for you. What do you expect me to do about it?

Lauren- Can't we _do_ something? Go out into town or whatever?

Charlotte- Don't you have any sheriff work to do?

Lauren- Nope. Weekends are _boring_.

Charlotte- Well, there's nothing we can do in town anyway. You blew all your money on that commemorative battle-axe.

Lauren- What about you?

Charlotte- I made a poor investment in an up-and-coming ramen cartel. It fell through.

Lauren- Ugh. I do sheriff work for the thrill of it, but they _seriously_ do not pay us enough.

Charlotte- I would renegotiate, but my contract lasts either until I die or until I usurp a major Russian oil company.

Lauren- What?

_Charlotte waves her hand dismissively._

Charlotte- Old bet with James.

Lauren- Ah.

_There's silence for a couple more seconds, then Lauren accidentally throws her ball out the window._

Lauren- No!

Charlotte- Ugh. Go get that.

Lauren- Hold on! Idea!

Charlotte- About the money problem or about the ball?

Lauren- We should get part time jobs! That way we can have something to do after school and the weekends, _and_ we can make money!

Charlotte- Genius. Where are we working?

Lauren- Hey, I got us started. The ball's in your corner now.

Charlotte- Well, fast food's a drag, bookstores are for people looking for romance, and-

Lauren- What if-

Charlotte- We're not working at the shooting range.

_Lauren deflates, but Charlotte perks up._

Charlotte- I might have an idea that you'll be _very_ happy with. I heard some rumors from interrogating prisoners, and I had been meaning to see if they're true.

Lauren- Yeah?

Charlotte- Come on. We're taking a visit to the Bulletin Café.

Lauren- A café? I don't wanna work at a-

Charlotte- Just trust me on this.

_Lauren nods, and we cut to the girls walking downstairs and out the door past Charlotte's father Frank._

Charlotte- Bye, dad. We're going out.

Frank- Have fun, Lottie!

Lauren- Lottie?

Charlotte- Shut up.

Lauren- Where's your mom?

_Charlotte glances down._

Charlotte- Business trip. Now just follow me.

_They walk out the door, and we cut to Becky slamming a small shot glass down onto the bar. She's in a sort of night club lit with red light with a club singer and various odd characters congregating, some of them playing darts with a large board._

Becky- Ugh. Give me something more acidic.

_A high pitched voice sounds from behind the counter._

Lily- Um, like some lemon or something?

_Becky curls her lip and looks over the counter to reveal Lily Lopez, a very young girl with her brown hair tied back into pigtails._

Becky- No. I want actual acid. Shoo, shoo.

Lily- Yeah, um… sure.

_Lily fumbles around the bar, looking in various drawers and cabinets. Becky's eye twitches._

Lily- Now, um, where do we keep the acid?

Becky- Can you please hurry up? The belladonna I had earlier is really wearing off.

_Lily clumsily mixes a drink and offers it to Becky. Becky downs it in one shot, then immediately spits it out._

Becky- You tiny _human_! This is awful!

_Lily cowers._

Lily- But I used the acid just like you-

Becky- This is _acetic acid_. My favorite is oxalic acid! You should know that!  


Lily- I'm sorry, I just-

Lavender- What's the problem here?

_Lavender Lopez comes from the other side of the bar, her arms crossed in an exasperated manner._

Lily- I'm sorry, Lavender, I just made Ms. Poller the wrong-

Becky- She _ruined_ my drink! I was having a bad day already.

_Becky sits down in a huff, and Lavender rolls her eyes and ushers Lily away._

Lavender- Why don't you go help some other customers, Lily? I'll deal with Becky.

_Lily goes to the other side of the bar, and Lavender sighs and leans down to talk to Becky._

Lavender- Give my sis a break, Beck. She's a bartender in training.

Becky- Training to be a massive nuisance, maybe.

Lavender- When I retire, _she'll_ be the one serving you. So be nice while you have the chance. You know how we Lopezes hold grudges.

Becky- Ugh, whatever. I'll be nicer to Little Miss Acetic Acid.

Lavender- Hey, what do you say I whip you up a Hemlock Hammer on the house?

_Becky looks up from the table with a smile._

Becky- You're too good to me, Lav.

_Lavender mixes Becky a drink with various ingredients, but gets distracted and yells at a boy in a top hat talking to a woman dressed in nun clothing._

Lavender- Hey, Eric! Stop flirting with Sister Superior!

_Becky beckons Lavender over her and hands her a vial._

Becky- Put this in his next drink.

Lavender- New concoction?

Becky- It'll shut down his ability to move his tongue at all.

Lavender- But what about-

Becky- Trust me. The Shopmaster will thank you if he finds out. Everyone wants Eric to just shut up every now and then.

_Lavender grins and takes the vial, slamming a drink down in front of Becky._

Becky- Bottoms up!

_Becky downs her Hemlock Hammer, and we cut to Charlotte and Lauren walking on a street that a sign marks as Oak Boulevard._

Lauren- So, what is this place?

Charlotte- Well, I tried James and Will's whole free market economy thing for a bit, and I noticed a couple of students kept bringing a ton of new credit into circulation…

Lauren- Where were they getting it?

Charlotte- I'm _getting_ to that part. So I interrogated them for a bit, and they were oddly tight-lipped about their source of income.

Lauren- Ooh, mystery.

Charlotte- But after a little _convincing_ , they spilled everything to me…

_They arrive on the corner of Oak Boulevard and Pine Avenue, where a charming little building sits marked with a wooden sign reading 'The Bulletin Café'_

Lauren- And they told you about this place? Last I checked, café work didn't pay _that_ much.

Charlotte- They told me that this place is more than it seems…

_The two girls enter the Bulletin and are greeted by a rustic looking café run by a kindly looking man behind the counter. He smiles at the two girls._

Shopmaster- Hiya, girls. What can I get for you?

Lauren- I'll have a-

_Charlotte holds up a hand to silence Lauren._

Charlotte- We'll have twenty-seven iced lattes.

_The Shopmaster arches an eyebrow._

Shopmaster- You sure you want to order that many?

Charlotte- We're sure.

_The Shopmaster looks to Lauren._

Lauren- Oh, um, yeah. We're sure.

_The Shopmaster grins._

Shopmaster- Can you girls come behind the counter to help me out?

_Charlotte and Lauren walk behind the counter to find the Shopmaster opening a trapdoor leading down some stairs._

Shopmaster- Enjoy your time at the Bulletin.

Lauren- Whoa.

_The Shopmaster ushers Charlotte and Lauren down the stairs, closing the trapdoor after them. Charlotte and Lauren find themselves walking into the same red-lit nightclub that Becky was in earlier, with jazzy music playing and the club singer belting her heart out._

Charlotte- _This_ is the real Bulletin.

Lauren- Rad…

_They look around at the various characters hanging around the Bulletin, including a group of women in nun clothes, several kids dressed like magicians, boys holding various sports equipment, and a small elephant, an eagle, and a squirrel with a knife._

Lauren- What _is_ this place?

Charlotte- Come to the bar with me. I'll explain.

_Charlotte and Lauren walk to the bar, and Lily walks up to serve them._

Lily- What can I getcha?

Charlotte- Two unnamed soft drinks for fear of copyright, please.

Lily- Do you have a tab with the Bulletin?

_Charlotte sighs and hands a credit card to Lily._

Lauren- I thought that the goal here was to _make_ money. I still don't know how that's happening.

Charlotte- Lauren… this is a mercenary hub.

_Lauren's eyes light up._

Lauren- Mercenaries!?

_Charlotte nods._

Charlotte- Let's be honest, you're probably not surprised that Ashmount has mercenaries. But apparently it's a fairly well kept secret. Guess they don't want the market getting flooded.

Lauren- So we get to do awesome mercenary work _and_ get paid!?

Charlotte- It's almost too perfect, isn't it?

_A voice rings out from behind Charlotte and Lauren._

Becky- What are _you two_ doing here?

_Charlotte and Lauren turn to see a disgruntled Becky, as well as Lavender behind the bar._

Charlotte- Becky?

Lavender- I am _so sorry_ for that customer's rude behavior. We're happy to serve you and your soft drinks will be here shortly.

Lily- Here they are!  


_Lily hands Charlotte and Lauren their drinks as they face down Becky. Lavender hisses to Becky._

Lavender- I get paid by the customer here, Beck. Don't mess up my income!

Lauren- How'd you get into this place, Poller? Did you follow us or something?

_Becky snorts._

Becky- Oh, please. This is where I spend most of my free time. _You're_ the intruders.

Lavender- So… you three know each other?

Charlotte- Unfortunately.

Lavender- Well, forget about whatever feelings you guys have towards each other. In the Bulletin, schools and allegiances and all that don't matter. And there's no fighting on property, or you won't be heard from again.

Lauren- Fine by me. I do plenty of fighting off property.

Becky- Whatever. So you two want to throw your hat into the mercenary ring?

Charlotte- We don't have to tell you anything, _intern_.

Lauren- Yes.

Charlotte- Lauren!

Lauren- What?

Charlotte- What about our sense of mysterious ambiance?

Becky- The only mystery is when _you two_ are going to get out of my face.

Charlotte- Fine. Lauren, let's finish our drinks elsewhere. Then we can sign up for a job.

_Charlotte and Lauren walk away, and Lavender rolls her eyes._

Lavender- Prickly much, Beck?

Becky- I have the exterior of a cactus and the interior of a bottomless pit.

_Lavender chuckles, and a second voice joins in the laughter, slightly haughtier sounding. A taller girl, Alicia Monet, leans onto the bar next to Becky, her black hair pulled up into a high ponytail. She is wearing a tight black outfit with a high collar, but her right glove, half-cape, and left boot are all a speckled white._

Alicia- That _is_ good.

_Lavender's eyes widen._

Lavender- I, um, uh… what can you get-I mean what can I-

_Alicia snaps her fingers and smiles._

Alicia- Hemlock Hammer, please.

Lavender- Yes, ma'am!

_Becky perks up at the sound of that._

Becky- Not many people can take a Hammer.

_She extends a hand to Alicia._

Becky- Becky Poller. And you are?

_Alicia's eyes narrow._

Alicia- _I_ am Alicia Monet. A pleasure.

_She shakes Becky's hand._

Becky- Hemlock Hammers are my favorite.

Alicia- Eh. I have to be in the mood for them. I prefer Cyanide Swirls.

Becky- Cyanide Swirls? What are those?

_Alicia laughs again, a sort of 'oh-ho-ho.'_

Alicia- Oh, you haven't been hanging around the Bulletin for that long, then. Cyanide Swirls were an old drink served here, but they were discontinued. Apparently they looked so tasty that the wrong people started trying them…

Becky- Ew. A waste of perfectly good cyanide.

Alicia- _Exactly._ See, you're on my wavelength. Hm… Bartender Lady!

Lavender- Yes! What do you need, miss ma'am?

Alicia- Get us two Cyanide Swirls. Put it on my tab.

Lavender- But I don't know how-

_Alicia side-eyes Lavender, and she stiffens._

Lavender- I'll get right on it, ma'am!

Becky- Paying for me, Alicia? I didn't realize this was _that_ kind of bar.

Alicia- Think nothing of it. I have cash to burn, after all.

Becky- So, you're a mercenary here?

_Alicia forces a grin._

Alicia- You could say that… you're not?

Becky- Nope. Just a fan of the drinks.

Lily- And a friend of the bartender!

_Becky turns around and pushes Lily away by the face._

Becky- I'm associates with the other bartender, not the irritating little one.

Lavender- Here you go, ladies.

_Lavender gives Alicia and Becky two colorful, delicious looking and very thick drinks._

Alicia- Quick service. Well done. Here's a tip.

_Alicia scribbles a signature on a napkin and hands it to Lavender, whose eyes go wide._

Lavender- Thank you, ma'am.

Lily- And for your drinks!

_Lily hands Alicia and Becky sporks, and Becky shudders, leaning in and poking Lily in the nose with it._

Becky- First thing to learn about me as a customer, Little Lav. I _don't do sporks_.

_Alicia eats a scoop of her Swirl._

Alicia- Ooh, I feel invigorated already.

_She stands up._

Alicia- Well, I better go take a job. See you around.

Becky- Yeah, sure.

_Alicia strolls away, and Lavender slides her face next to Becky's and lets out a squeal._

Becky- Would you stop that? And since when do you take napkins as payment?

Lavender- Are you kidding? With _her_ autograph on it, this napkin is worth fortunes! Do you know how much I could sell this for?

Becky- Alicia's autograph? She's snazzily dressed, so I assumed she was a lead, but is she famous or something?

Lavender- Becky, do you _never_ look up from your drink while you're here?

Becky- Only to order another drink.

Lavender- _That_ was _the_ Alicia Monet. Lily, give me your Monet trading card!

Lily- Promise you won't crease it?

Lavender- We're still on that? It was _one_ time!

_Lily hands Lavender a trading card depicting Alicia, and Lavender starts reading off it._

Lavender- Alicia Monet has been the top mercenary at the café for as long as anyone can remember. It earned her the title 'Queen of the Board.'

Becky- Dramatic much?

Lavender- Hardly. She's completed hundreds of jobs, made enough money to support her forever, mastered a Germanian martial art called Grusselbaan, and she doesn't even turn in contracts for cash anymore…

_Lavender points to Alicia, who's talking to the squirrel. Becky squints, and we zoom in to see that the white parts of Alicia's outfit are actually scraps of paper that have been meticulously pasted together on her clothing._

Becky- Whoa…

Lavender- Yeah. So… I'm going to go sell this napkin for a fortune. Lily, tend for me!

_Lavender hops over the bar and rushes to the other side of the club. We cut to Charlotte and Lauren walking towards the area of the club where several mercenaries are playing darts. They see what they're throwing the darts at… a massive board with dozens of pieces of paper stuck to it. An excited and plump man, the Headhunter, sits behind a desk with a few darts sticking out of his shoulder._

Charlotte- Woah.

Lauren- It's like some sort of Bulletin…Board!

_Charlotte rolls her eyes._

Charlotte- Thank you for stating the obvious, Lauren. Hey, you! Is there where we sign up for a job!

_The Headhunter turns his gaze to them and grins._

Headhunters- Yes, this is the place. But where's your third?

Charlotte- Excuse me?

_A girl wearing a large turban leans back to talk to Charlotte._

Nalini- You need three to five people in your crew, honey.

Lauren- What?!

Nalini- It's for insurance reasons. But fear not, for I can see all.

_Nalini dramatically presents a crystal ball that she gazes into._

Nalini- The partner that I see in your future is near… here's the directions.

_Nalini hands the crystal ball to Charlotte, who looks into it to see a Google Maps esque interface that shows a line going a little bit backwards._

Charlotte- Hold on, this only goes a couple steps…

_Lauren looks over her shoulder to see Becky downing another shot._

Lauren- Not _Poller_.

Charlotte- There have _got_ to be other options.

_We cut to Becky sitting at the bar when Charlotte and Lauren walk up next to her._

Lavender- Oh, Beck, it's your friends.

Charlotte- We have something to ask…

Becky- Yes, I _did_ poison AJ last Friday, and no, I'm not sorry.

Lauren- Ew, not to you. We wanted to ask the bartender lady to be our third.

Lavender- Me?

_Lily pokes her head over the counter._

Lily- Me?

_Lauren shoves Lily back onto the floor._

Lauren- Definitely not you.

Lavender- My mercenary days are behind me, chicas. I'm sorry, but I bartend now.

_Charlotte lets out a long groan._

Charlotte- Fine. Becky, you're with us.

Becky- Yeah, I don't think so.

_Becky turns away, but Lauren grabs her shot glass._

Lauren- Hey! You don't say no to us, or else we pay you back!

_Lauren raises the shot glass, and Becky raises an eyebrow._

Becky- You probably shouldn't-

_Lauren downs the shot and immediately collapses on the floor._

Charlotte- Lauren!

Becky- I tried to tell her.

Charlotte- Becky, fix this! Give her the antidote!

Becky- You think I carry antidotes with me? Why would I want people getting _un_ -poisoned?

Charlotte- Do you _want_ to lose your job?

Becky- I'm unpaid.

Charlotte- It's a chance to climb up the corporate ladder!  


Becky- Ugh, fine. Lav, help me out.

_Becky hops behind the bar and she and Lavender open some drawers and mix ingredients. Becky loads it into a syringe and haphazardly stabs it into Lauren, who shoots up._

Lauren- Gah! That had a kick! What poison was in that thing?

Lavender- No poison, just unflavored sparkling water.

_Everyone shudders._

Charlotte- Even worse.

Lauren- So you're with us, Poller?

Becky- I never said that.

_Lavender sighs._

Lavender- Beck, for no reason at all, let me show your bar tab at the moment.

_Lavender unfurls a very, very long piece of paper and Becky gulps._

Becky- Let's get started, girls.

_Lauren drags Becky away._

Lavender- Have fun!

_We cut to Charlotte and Lauren examining the jobs on the board while dodging darts._

Charlotte- Which jobs look good to you, Laur?

Lauren- There's this one that says they need a private escort through gang territory!

Charlotte- With that low a reward? No way. We could file this guy's taxes!

Lauren- Ew. Sometimes I forget you're, like, a nerd.

_Darts fly into both of the jobs, and Charlotte and Lauren sigh._

Charlotte- I can't believe I'm saying this, but any suggestions, Becky?

_We see Becky leaning on the wall away from them._

Becky- Pick whatever.

Charlotte- I guess we'll take whichever one we can. Here's an open one!

_Charlotte sticks a dart into the job just as another dart flies into it._

Charlotte- This one's ours!

Becky- Ugh, not drama.

_Becky walks out to join Charlotte and Lauren as the thrower of the dart steps forward: Alicia._

Alicia- Oh, my apologies… sorry I had to take it from you.

Lauren- Um, you didn't take it from us. Move your dart.

_Alicia approaches them, a little amusement in her expression._

Becky- Um, you two, maybe we shouldn't-

Alicia- Oh, it won't be moving at all.

Charlotte- Well, we're not moving ours.

_Alicia shrugs with a grin._

Alicia- Fine by me!

Charlotte- I, um… what? Two crews can't take the same job…

_She hesitates._

Charlotte- Can they?

Alicia- Oh, they most certainly _can._ They don't have to play nice, though.

_Becky gulps._

Alicia- Think of it as a little friendly competition.

Becky- Right, then. We'll just-

Lauren- It's on!

Alicia- Glad to hear it! Ta-ta!

_Alicia struts away, and Charlotte and Lauren turn to Becky._

Charlotte- She's not anyone important, is she?

_We cut to Charlotte, Lauren, and Becky talking to Lavender at the bar. The Headhunter walks up to Becky and hands her some paper._

Headhunter- Here, just fill this out for your new crew.

Becky- Ugh, why does everyone think that I'm best suited for paperwork?

Lavender- You took the same job as _Alicia Monet_?!

Charlotte- That's the fourth time you've asked that, Lavender.

Lauren- Got any tips on how we can beat her?

Lavender- Oh, you don't beat Alicia Monet. You pray she has mercy on you.

_Lauren rolls her eyes._

Lauren- I still think we can take her. She's probably never faced a sheriff before!

Lavender- I'll attend your funerals.

Charlotte- Way to be supportive of our endeavors. Aren't bartenders supposed to be sources of wisdom?

Lavender- Well, now I'm offended.

_Becky hands the paperwork to the Headhunter, and he walks off._

Becky- Whatever. Let's just get this job over with.

Lauren- Do they have team names or something here?

Becky- Don't worry, I handled all the details.

_The Headhunter's voice rings over an intercom._

Headhunter- Team Monet, please report to the briefing room. And um… Becky and the Morons, you come as well.

_Charlotte and Lauren glare at Becky._

Becky- I'm doing the job with you. I didn't say I'd be nice.

_Lily pokes her face up._

Lily- Good luck on your job.

Lauren- Thanks, kid.

Lily- You'll need it, because Alicia Monet is the most amazingest kickbutt mercenary who ever-

Lavender- Just stop at the encouragement, hermana.

_We cut to an image of the job contract as the Headhunter's voice is heard and we go into a fast-paced summary of the job._

Headhunter- This job was given to us by an aspiring entrepreneur who wants to completely monopolize the lemonade stand business. Only one company stands in his way…

_We see a large complex with a sign reading 'LemonYum' outside. Child guards stand outside._

Headhunter- LemonYum has been running this town's lemonade for years, ruled by a series of equally devious children. They've crushed all resistance, but this contractor wants you to infiltrate their complex and steal their secret recipe, allowing them to compete on LemonYum's level. Reward… 120 dollars each.

_We see Charlotte, Lauren, and Becky observing the complex from a nearby hill._

Charlotte- We've done harder jobs for no payment.

Lauren- This should be a breeze.

Becky- I still think my plan would've worked.

Charlotte- Your plan would have gassed anyone within a ten kilometer radius.

Becky- My point still stands.

Charlotte- Whatever. You two know the _actual_ plan?

_Lauren and Becky nod._

Alicia- _I_ don't know the plan. Could you ladies catch me up?

_The three of them turn around to see Alicia standing behind them._

Charlotte- What are _you_ doing here?

Alicia- Banter. It makes the world go 'round.

Becky- Ugh, just leave us alone and don't copy our plan.

Alicia- Oh, I sincerely hope I'm never desperate enough to copy _you_.

Lauren- Ugh, why do you hate us so much?

Alicia- I don't hate you, I just need to show every mercenary in that café that I'm the Queen of the Board, and rookies like you aren't going to halt my reign in the slightest.

_She taps her shoulder where the paper pattern ends._

Alicia- I've got the perfect spot for this contract right here…

Lauren- Where's your crew? Don't they care that they won't be getting a paycheck?

Alicia- Oh, I pay them to be dead weight on missions.

_Alicia points far away where two figures stands._

Alicia- Hey, guys!  


Alicia's Crew- Hey, Alicia.

_Alicia grins._

Alicia- Besides, I don't need my crew.

_Alicia walks past them._

Alicia- Good luck…

_She disappears around a corner._

Lauren- Ugh, what a snob.

Charlotte- Pay her no mind. Just stick to the plan.

_We cut to the guards outside the entrance when suddenly one of them is hit in the neck with a dart and collapses._

Guard- Jimmy?

_The guard looks up just in time to get a fist to the face from Lauren. Charlotte walks up and grabs the guard's arm, placing his hand on the pad in front of the door and opening it._

Charlotte- I'll find the recipe. You two take care of the guards.

Lauren- Right!

Becky- Fiiiiiiiiiiiiine.

_The three of them run in side, and we see Alicia looking after them and smirking._

Alicia- So inefficient…

_Alicia gets a running start as she presses a button in her hand and a metal staff unfurls. She pole vaults with it and lands gracefully on the roof, blowing a strand of hair from her face._

Alicia- Oh, you're amazing, Monet.

_We cut to Lauren punching out a guard and slamming another with her axe while Becky fires darts calmly. Lauren tosses her axe to Becky._

Lauren- Poller, catch!

_Becky takes a step backwards and lets the axe clatter to the ground._

Becky- Oh no, it fell.

_Lauren growls as she slams another guard into the wall. The remaining guards back up._

Guard- Raise the alarm and lock down the recipe room! We've got intruders!

_One of the guards takes off running._

Lauren- Uh-oh.

Becky- Take care of him. I've got these morons.

_Lauren nods, jumping over the guards to sprint after the runner. We cut to Charlotte looking at a map of the facility. She growls and touches her earpiece._

Charlotte- The recipe room's not on the map. I'm going to check the cameras.

_She rushes to some nearby monitors and examines the security footage. On one monitor, she sees Lauren running down the halls, but a shadow flits by the screen and it all goes black. We see Lauren and hear Charlotte's voice through her earpiece._

Charlotte- Lauren, there's someone on you! I'm coming!

_As Lauren runs down the hallway, a small disk on the wall activates, shocking Lauren with sparks of electricity. Lauren groans and stumbles._

Lauren- Agh! What kind of security does this lemonade place have?

Alicia- Oh, LemonYum didn't place those traps…

_Alicia drops down in front of Lauren, spinning her staff._

Alicia- I did.

Lauren _\- Monet_.

Alicia- That's the name, don't wear it out. Now, are you ready to-

_Before she can finish her sentence, Lauren's axe is clashing against her staff. She narrows her eyes and begins to fight, spinning her staff very flashily._

Alicia- Not bad.

Lauren- You're not awful yours-

_Alicia presses a button on her staff and electricity crackles at the end of it. She shoves it into Lauren's neck, interrupting her._

Lauren- Agh! You little brat!

Alicia- I prefer 'my Queen'.

_Alicia scoops Lauren's axe from her hands, sending it flying into the air, but Lauren rips Alicia's staff from her hands and sends a punch towards her face. Alicia ducks under it and in slow motion, she peppers Lauren's torso with a dozen tiny punches. When she finishes, Lauren is completely paralyzed sans her face._

Lauren- Wh-what?

Alicia- It's called Grusselbaan.

_She pokes Lauren's forehead, sending her to the ground._

Lauren- You idiot. Now that guard's gonna raise the alarm and shut down the room.

Alicia- You sure about that?

_Alicia throws out a device that flies through the halls, homing onto the guard just he reaches the door and unfurls into a net, trapping him. Alicia smirks and runs off._

Lauren- Char! Monet's running towards the recipe! Follow her down the hall from me and to the right to get there!

_We cut to Alicia entering a dark room where the recipe sits on a high platform. She grins._

Alicia- Ugh, I almost broke a sweat.

_Suddenly, her eyes widen and she leans to the side to avoid a paintball from Charlotte's pistol as she rushes into the room._

Charlotte- Back off!

_Alicia ducks behind the platform, then rolls out and tosses a device at Charlotte that latches onto her pistol and covers the barrel. Charlotte tries to shoot and paint splatters over her face. She looks up to see Alicia running at her with her staff, and quickly pulls out a foam sword to block it. They clash for a bit, and Charlotte is knocked back. She closes her eyes, then opens them and yells._

Charlotte- Mega Dragon Super Slash!

_Charlotte rushes towards Alicia, who easily disarms her. Alicia jumps up into the air and kicks the sword into Charlotte's stomach._

Charlotte- Oof!

_Charlotte falls to the ground, but Lauren's axe slams into Alicia's stomach from a powerful throw as Lauren runs into the room, yelling._

Lauren- No more fancy tricks, Monet!

_Lauren catches her axe and strikes Alicia, sending her skidding back a bit. Then Lauren strikes the platform, causing the recipe to flutter into the air._

Alicia- Mine!

_She's distracted by Lauren engaging her._

Lauren- Char! Get it!

_Alicia growls and flips up, kicking Lauren into a wall. She slide five disks over on the floor, all of which shock Lauren into unconsciousness. She looks over to Charlotte, who is reaching up for the recipe. Alicia narrows her eyes and throws up her staff. It wedges into a nook in the ceiling, and Alicia runs forward and jumps up, holding onto the bar and jumping off, grabbing the recipe and kicking Charlotte in the head, knocking her out. Alicia tosses her hair back._

Alicia- And that's why I always-

_A dart strikes Alicia in the neck, and she looks towards the entrance to see Becky._

Becky- Worth a shot, right?

Alicia- Of course.

_Alicia plucks the dart out and hurls it into Becky's neck._

Becky- That really wasn't worth a shot. Just knock me out already.

_In a wide shot, Alicia kicks her staff into Becky's head with a resounding thud, then catches it. Alicia snaps her fingers._

Alicia- Don't mess with the Queen, rookies.

_A pause._

Alicia- I probably should have told you that _before_ I knocked you all out.

_She runs out of the room, and we fade to black. When we fade back in, we see shots of Alicia celebrating in the Bulletin, the sound muffled. The other mercenaries celebrate her, with Sister Superior blessing her and whatnot. She tears off a part of the contract and everyone watches as it's pasted to her shoulder, fitting perfectly into a spot. She shoots a glance over to the bar and smirks, and we pan to the bar where Becky, Lauren, and Charlotte are siting angrily as Lavender and Lily ice them._

Lauren- That girl is _so_ dead…

_End episode._


	60. The Bulletin S1E2

**Episode Two: The Boy with the Spectacles**

Synopsis: Becky and the Morons are approached by a potential new ally.

_We open on Becky holding a stack of papers as she walks down a street in Ashmount, grumbling._

Becky- Stupid internship, stupid papers, stupid Orwick.

_Lauren jumps out from a nearby alley._

Lauren- POLLER!

Becky- AGH!

_Becky's papers fly in the air as Charlotte walks out to join Lauren._

Becky- You _morons_. I had to go file those financial statements!

Charlotte- No time for that, Becky. We have to get to the café.

Becky- We have to what now?

Lauren- That Monet girl _humiliated_ us, Poller. We're gonna get her back.

Becky- Look, I understand your passion, and you can feel free to find someone else to be on your crew. You can even change the name if you want.

Charlotte- No way. You're a part of this now as much as we are. Don't tell us you don't want to see the look on Alicia's face when we take her down a peg.

_Becky hesitates and sighs._

Becky- Fine, but you're picking up my papers for me.

_We cut to the three girls talking to Lavender and Lily._

Lavender- Yeah, there's no way you three can do anything to Alicia Monet.

Lily- She's so cool! She could beat you all in sleep all like WHAP WHAP!

_Charlotte's eye twitches._

Charlotte- Thank you for the input, _child_.

Lauren- I don't think you know what we can do, Lavender. We've won wars and-

Lavender- Is that why you lost horribly on the weekend?

Charlotte, Lauren, Becky- That's fair.

Lily- Just don't mess with her again! Everyone at the Bulletin _loves_ Alicia Monet!

Lavender- That's just you, Lily. The rest of us are just scared of her.

_Suddenly, Alicia's staff slams into the wall next to Lavender. Alicia catches it as it bounces off, grinning at a wide-eyed Lavender._

Alicia- Bartender! Drinks for everyone here, please! I'm feeling generous!

_The crowd cheers as Alicia points to Becky, Charlotte, and Lauren._

Alicia- Except for those three. They just don't look that thirsty.

Lauren- That little-

Lavender- Coming right up, Ms. Monet.

_She grimaces at the girls._

Lavender- Sorry, guys.

_Alicia and her posse swarm the bar, including one boy with spiky black hair and large hexagonal glasses, Felix Vestor, who seems to be thinking about something else._

Lavender- Double time, Lily! We've got customers!

_Lily approaches Alicia with a piece of paper._

Lily- Um… Ms. Monet?

Alicia- What do you need, sweetie?

Lily- I was just wondering if you could give me your autograph to prove to the kids at school that I know someone cool.

Alicia- That is _so sweet_.

_Lily offers the pen, but Alicia pushes it back down._

Alicia- Unfortunately, my autographs are worth a lot and I don't want to oversaturate the market. Plus, I could never give it to a child who might blab about the Bulletin to her little friends. So I guess you could say that your question was stupid to ask in the first place.

_Alicia's grin doesn't falter, and tears well up in Lily's eyes._

Lily- You're mean.

Alicia- I'm a winner. Make me my drink.

_Becky rolls her eye._

Becky- Hero worship crumbling right before our eyes. Not every day you get to see that, folks.

_Becky yelps as Lavender 'accidentally' flicks liquid into her eyes._

Becky- Hey!

Lavender- That's my sis, Beck.

Charlotte- So, Alicia… what job are you taking on next?

_Alicia is a bit taken aback, then begins to laugh._

Alicia- Good, I see you've learned the way of things… learn what job I'm doing so you know which one _not_ to do.

Charlotte- Sure.

Alicia- Unless… you're planning on challenging me again.

Lauren- It won't be much of a challenge.

Alicia- That's a lot of confidence from someone who I easily knocked unconscious.

Lauren- It didn't even hurt. My skull's very thick.

Alicia- I bet.

_Alicia stands up._

Alicia- Friends, let's go sit somewhere else. For some reason, the bar _reeks_ of idiots who don't know when to quit.

_Alicia and her posse walk away, and boy with the glasses bumps into Charlotte, knocking phone out of her hands, which she catches._

Charlotte- Hey! Watch where you're-

_Charlotte notices a newfound piece of paper in her hand. She unfolds it to read, tapping Lauren and Becky on the shoulder._

Becky- Ugh, _what_?

Charlotte- Somebody wants to meet us in the storage room… they say that they can help with our Alicia problem.

Lauren- Do we trust them?

Lavender- You don't have a choice if you to beat _her_.

_Lily angrily lifts her head up over the bar._

Lily- Take her down! Revolution!

_We cut to Becky, Charlotte, and Lauren walking into a room containing numerous barrels of liquid. The door shuts behind them, leaving them in minimal light._

Becky- You're sure it was that guy with the glasses? I've seen him hanging around Monet.

Lauren- Could be a trap.

Charlotte- There's no fighting on café property, remember?

_Suddenly, they hear the shift of wood and metal and see one of the walls in the storeroom open to a staircase. As the stairs descend, it reveals a white, more clinical lab setting._

Charlotte- A secret lab?

_A pause as Lauren and Becky glance at Charlotte._

Charlotte- Yeah, I can't even pretend like I'm surprised.

_A squeaky, nervous voice that speaks with a stutter calls out from the bottom of the staircase._

Felix- C-come down here! Qu-quickly!

_The girls shrug and walk down the stairs. Felix is nervously waiting at the door, pressing a button on the wall to close the door. His eyes widen as he sees the girls and he quickly runs behind a table._

Charlotte- Um, hi to you, too?

Felix- S-s-sorry, I've just never done anything like th-this against Alicia before.

Lauren- You work for her or something?

_Felix nervously runs his fingers through his hair and offers his hand to the girls._

Felix- Sorry, I forgot to introduce myself. I'm F-Felix. Felix Vestor.

Becky- That doesn't answer Lauren's question.

Felix- Agh, right! Y-yes, I do work for Alicia.

_Lauren cracks her knuckles and Felix yelps._

Felix- Did! D-did work for Alicia!

Charlotte- And now?

Felix- I, um, k-kinda want to help you three. Sh-she's really mean to me all the time and after all I do for her I j-just can't anymore!

_A pause._

Charlotte- And what exactly _do_ you do for her?

_Felix lights up._

Felix- I can show you!

_Felix jumps over to another wall and presses a button, and the shelves on the walls fly out to reveal mechanisms, devices, and hurty-looking weapons of every type. A table containing engineering tools and a sort of sniper rifle in the process of being built also slides out._

Charlotte and Lauren- Whoa…

Becky- Got any poison?

_Felix points to reveal some tubes of poison on one wall of the room. Becky shoves a shot glass under one of them, pumps some poison in, and downs it._

Felix- Pl-please don't touch my stuff.

Charlotte- All those stupid gadgets Alicia used on us… that was you?

Felix- Yes! Well, um, n-no! I mean, I m-made them but she used them. But now y-you can use them!

Lauren- This is too easy. Why are you just betraying your boss now? Seems like you've got a pretty nice gig.

Felix- Are you k-kidding me! I'm only safe in this café as long as I have h-her protection! Outside of here, all the mercenaries h-hate me! But if I just l-leave, _she'll_ be after me.

Becky- So?

Felix- So I n-need someone else's protection! People l-l-like you.

Charlotte- Give us a moment for a group meeting.

_Charlotte pulls Becky and Lauren in._

Charlotte- What do we think?

Becky- I literally don't care.

Charlotte- What a great trait in a protagonist.

Lauren- I want to use everything in here! Let's let him in!

Charlotte- Becky, last chance to object.

Becky- Why are you pretending like my opinion has equal weight to Lauren's?

Charlotte- Hey, we're a team. Just because you're the worst doesn't mean you're not useful.

Becky- Ugh, I think you're upping my blood sugar with every word.

_The girls stand back up, and Becky sighs._

Becky- Congratulations. You're a Moron now, Felix.

Felix- Is that your n-name?

Charlotte- Unfortunately.

Lauren- Now show me the WEAPONS!

Becky- Later, morons.

_Everyone turns to see Becky opening the door back up and walking upstairs._

Charlotte- Where are you going?

Becky- I need to clear my head. Induct the new boy without me.

Charlotte- But… ugh, fine.

_Charlotte and Lauren turn to Felix._

Charlotte- Gadget time?

Felix- Gadget time!

_We cut to Becky sighing as she walks and goes to sit at the bar, looking a bit glum. Lavender walks up to her._

Lavender- Where're your friends, Beck?

Becky- Not my friends.

Lavender- Right, right.

_There's a pause, and Becky sighs._

Becky- I shouldn't get involved in all this mercenary stuff. I was fine before Charlotte and Lauren walked into this café.

Lavender- Depends on your definition, amiga. You just spent all your time talking with me and ordering more drinks.

Becky- Ah, that was the good life…

Lavender- Then why did you never look happy?

_Becky falters._

Becky- I'm never happy.

_Lavender sighs and leans on the counter to talk to Becky._

Lavender- Let me be real with you for a second, Beck. When you walked in here, I knew that you were gonna be a good customer.

Becky- Because of my crippling poison addiction?

Lavender- Because you know how to adapt. I mean, you've told me about your life. You went from ruling your school to running a business and now you're making it as an intern, chica! You're amazing!

Becky- Praise is always welcome, but what's your point.

Lavender- You can do so much better than sitting at my bar, Beck. If you're willing to work with those girls… you can run this café.

_Becky sighs and stands up._

Lavender- Whether or not you want that is up to you, but mull it over for me.

_Becky nods and hears sounds of clashing from a closed door across the bar._

Becky- What's going on there?

Lavender- Fighting tournament. I think You-Know-Who is in the ring now.

_We cut back to Charlotte, Lauren, and Felix as he picks up various gadgets from his lab and hands them to the girls._

Felix- I have so much st-stuff you guys can use!

_Lauren presses a button on the hilt of an axe and it sparks with electricity._

Lauren- I'm going to cry.

Felix- Alicia rejected that one. Said it was too h-hefty.

Lauren- Maybe she's just a weakling.

_Felix's eyes widen and he laughs nervously._

Charlotte- She's not going to hear you, you know.

Felix- I know that! It's just f-force of habit.

_Lauren slams her new axe on the ground, sending sparks flying._

Felix- Be careful with that!

Lauren- You're a keeper, Vestor.

Charlotte- I don't suppose _I_ get anything?

_Cut to Charlotte wearing metal gloves and boots, examining them dubiously._

Charlotte- And what do these do, besides make me look like an off-brand 90s superhero?

_Felix gestures to the wall, and Charlotte's mouth drops._

Charlotte- _No_.

Felix- Oh, yeah.

_Charlotte excitedly runs over to the wall and finds that she's able to climb it up with ease. She grins, and Lauren laughs._

Lauren- Don't get used to this, Felix. She doesn't smile often.

Charlotte- Hey!

_Charlotte suddenly falls to the ground with a thud, causing Felix to jump._

Felix- Agh! My bad! Let me just r-run some last diagnostics!

_Lauren shoves her paintball pistol in Felix's hand._

Lauren- Anything you can do for my guns?

Felix- Is this a _p-paintball_ gun? Are you serious?

_Lauren gets a little defensive._

Lauren- It does the trick.

Felix- Psh. D-does the trick isn't enough for me!

_Felix picks up a new gun, twirls it, and fires it at the wall, a blue electric blast slamming into the wall. Lauren immediately grabs Felix and lifts him over her friend._

Felix- Gah!

Lauren- New bestie!

_We cut to Becky walking through the rows of spectators watching the fighting tournament in the café._

Becky- Might as well see how Ms. Big Shot's doing…

DJ Badboi- Another solid blow by the esteemed Alicia Monet. Her opponent, Kira Adebayo, is a fierce competitor, but she got unlucky in the bracket today!

_In the ring, Alicia spars with a large girl named Kira, who swings at her with a large log._

Kira- Eat Rock, Monet!  


Alicia- That's a stick.

Kira- _The stick is named Rock_.

_Alicia flips over Kira, kicking one of her knees from behind. As Kira turns around, she yells as Alicia jabs her staff into Kira's neck, holding it there until Kira falls to the ground, groaning._

DJ Badboi- Ooh! Victory to Alicia Monet as expected!

_Alicia poses in victory and her eyes wander over the crowd, locking eyes with Becky. Becky cocks an eyebrow and rolls her eyes._

Alicia (internal monologue)- That little brat.

Becky (internal monologue)- That little snob.

Lily- Concessions! Concessions!

_Becky turns to see Lily at her side._

Becky- Ugh, you're here?

Lily- We have to make some extra money. It's Papi's birthday this week.

Becky- How noble of you.

Lily- What are you doing here? Scouting out the enemy?

Becky- Probably giving up, to be honest.

Lily- What?! But you can't!

Becky- Why's that? Because she didn't give you her autograph?

Lily- Because you guys can totally beat her!

Becky- Weren't you the one hyping her up a while ago?

Lily- She's mean.

Becky- All the best people are.

Lily- And… and I already made your trading card…

_Lily pulls out a handmade trading card with a crude drawing of Becky, Charlotte, and Lauren. She offers it to Becky and she takes it. Becky's gaze softens for a second_

Becky- This… this is for me?

Lily- Mmhm. I haven't added your stats yet, but I will once you beat Alicia!

_Becky holds the card for a second, then offers it back._

Becky- I can't accept this.

Lily- W-what?

Becky- Not until after we beat her. Then we'll have earned it.

_Lily beams._

Lily- Good luck!

_Lily briefly hugs Becky's leg much to her disdain and runs away, leaving behind her concessions._

Becky- Hey, you left your-

Spectator- One bag, please.

Becky- I'm not your waitress.

Spectator- The bag's right there. I've got money.

_Becky rolls her eyes and takes the money then sprinkles some liquid from a vial into the bag of snacks before she gives it to the spectator. We cut to Charlotte and Lauren trying out their new gadgets, making a total mess of Felix's lab._

Felix- Oh, pl-please don't make a mess of things.

Lauren- Oh, I can't wait to bring this back to school!

Felix- No way! This stuff is for m-mercenary work only! I don't want the schools h-hunting me down!

Lauren- Ugh, fine.

_The door slides open and Becky walks down._

Becky- I'm back, Morons. Let's do this.

Charlotte- Honestly, I forgot you were even on this team in the time you were away.

_Becky arches an eyebrow._

Charlotte- Felix has something for you.

_Felix tosses Becky the sniper rifle device. Becky aims it as a wall and fires a blue blast of electricity, then presses a button and fires a syringe from it._

Becky- You even included poison? How thoughtful of you.

Felix- Is that sarcastic or not?

Becky- You decide.

Lauren- Now come on! Let's take Monet down!

Felix- Not qu-quite yet.

_Felix presses a button and a door opens._

Felix- Don't you want to try out these gadgets on each other?!

Charlotte, Lauren, Becky- Yes. Absolutely.

_Hard cut to Lauren chasing after Charlotte in a dark laser-tag arena type area, brandishing her new axe._

Charlotte- Come on! Go after Becky!

Lauren- Eh, you're easier to find.

_Charlotte aims behind her and shoots at Lauren, but Lauren chucks her axe._

Charlotte- Agh!

_Charlotte ducks and the axe flies over her head. Lauren clenches her fist and axe flies back, tripping Charlotte up._

Charlotte- It boomerangs?!

Lauren- It boomerangs!

_Charlotte whips out and extends a sword, clashing against Lauren and managed to scramble out from underneath her. Suddenly, a canister clangs between both of them and explodes into a cloud of poison._

Lauren- POLLER!

_Blue streaks fly through the cloud as Charlotte and Lauren stumble out, coughing. Darts fly between their feet as they look up to see Becky at a higher elevation aiming down._

Charlotte- Get down here!

Becky- I'm good.

Charlotte- Then I'm coming for you.

Becky- Oh, god.

_Becky scrambles back as Charlotte runs to the wall and begins to scale it with her new gloves and boots while Lauren has the climb the normal way. Both of them make it up and begin to chase after Becky, firing electric blasts after her until suddenly their weapons stop firing and spark out._

Becky- Aha!

_Becky turns around and attempts to fire on them only for her weapon to not work either._

Becky- Why do I ever expect to get lucky?

_A disk slide between the three girls, zapping them all with a painful jolt and causing them all to yelp. Felix walks out to face the three groaning girls._

Felix- You thought I sh-showed you all my tricks?

Lauren- Oh, of course you kept the best stuff for yourself.

Charlotte- That thing you did where you shut down our weapons… can you do that to Alicia?

Felix- That's the plan, Ch-Charlotte.

_The three girls grin, and we cut to the upstairs part of the café, where Alicia is lounging in a chair. Felix walks up next to her._

Alicia- Tech guy? Where've you been? I needed repairs on my stuff, like, an hour ago.

Felix- I did tell you I was g-going to take a little break today.

Alicia- Blah blah blah! There's arrogant rookies trying to usurp me!

Felix- I think I h-heard about that.

Alicia- Speak properly, would you?

Felix- I have a st-stutter, Ms. Monet.

Alicia- Whatever. Come with me, tech guy. We're taking a job.

_Alicia stands up, strolling through as the crowd parts for her. She grabs a dart and chucks it at a random contract on the Board. Immediately after her dart hits, another sinks into the same contract. Alicia's nostrils flare as she whirls around to see the Morons standing confidently. There's a short staredown before Alicia growls._

Alicia- You know what, _whatever_. Some people need more than one trouncing before they get the message.

_She walks away, shoving past the Morons._

Alicia- See you there.

_Becky grins mirthlessly, wiggling her fingers at Alicia as she walks away, then eyes Felix, who nods. We cut to Alicia roller blading across town, cutting between her and the summary of the job as the Headhunter's voice can be heard._

Headhunter- Today's job comes from the Forrester cooking club. They’ve suspected their leader of embezzling funds and want us to find records of such in their office.

_We see a shot of Forrester as Alicia approaches it on her rollerblades, and we zoom in on a distant rooftop, where Becky is aiming her rifle down at Alicia, Felix standing beside her._

Felix- Are y-you sure you can hit her?

Becky- Maybe. Let's see.

Felix- Wait! Maybe you should-

_Becky fires an electric blast that speeds through the air and hits Alicia on the back of her calf as she blades up the stair rails of Forrester, causing her to stumble and fall over. She gets up and whirls around._

Alicia- What was that?! Who's there?

_Silence, and Alicia growls._

Alicia- They're probably not even here yet… focus, Monet.

_We cut to Lauren driving her motorcycle down the road, Charlotte clinging onto her._

Charlotte- The café wasn't even that far. Did we have to take the bike?

Lauren- Fun is always a choice, Char.

Charlotte- Whatever. I'm out.

_As they near Forrester, Charlotte jumps off the bike, climbing up the wall. We see Alicia inside Forrester spotting Lauren walking up the stairs._

Alicia- Where's your crew, rookie?

_Lauren pulls out her axe, which sparks with electricity, and Alicia goes pale._

Alicia- _What_!?

_We cut to Becky and Felix ziplining onto the roof to join Charlotte._

Charlotte- She's spotted Lauren. Now what?

Felix- Now we w-wait for her to do the b-boring work for us and find the proof of embezzlement.

_Felix pulls out a rectangle and places it on the roof, allowing him and the girls to look through and see Alicia stopping in front of an office._

Charlotte- Becky… isn't that _your_ office?

Becky- Don't worry about it. We can just get our money and then force them to shut up about my _alleged_ embezzlement.

Felix- You run the F-Forrester cooking club?

Becky- Long story.

_We cut inside to Alicia walking out of the office holding a sheet of paper only to find herself facing Lauren._

Lauren- Hey, Monet.

Alicia- What about my traps!?

_Alicia looks past Lauren to see several devices on the walls and floor sparking._

Lauren- Guess they malfunctioned. You should call the manufacturer.

Alicia- Oh, I'll be having a word with him after I deal with _you_.

_Lauren pulls out her axe._

Alicia- Oh, and _where_ did you get that?

Lauren- Your worst nightmare.

Alicia- That doesn't even-

_Lauren swings towards Alicia and the two girls clash, Alicia flipping back in the hallway. Lauren throws her axe at Alicia over and over again, eventually knocking her off her feet. Alicia kicks back off of Lauren and scrambles to her feet, still holding the paper._

Alicia- Give it up, Layla!  


Lauren- It's Lauren.

Alicia- I don't learn _names._ I'm Alicia Monet!

_A syringe flies through the paper in Alicia's hand, pinning it to the wall behind her. Alicia gasps as she sees Becky and Charlotte climbing out of vents, surrounding Alicia and brandishing their new weapons._

Alicia- Ah, I was wondering when the rest of you idiots would show up.

Becky- That's Morons to you.

Alicia- And I see you all have fancy gadgets too… maybe I should whip out some of my own.

_Alicia presses a button on her staff and it briefly crackles with electricity before sparking out and sending a jolt up Alicia's arm._

Alicia- Agh! What's happening?!

Charlotte- Having technical problems?

_The Morons circle Alicia, who's slightly panicking._

Alicia- What do you know?!

Felix- N-not what, but who…

_Alicia whirls around to see Felix pointing a pistol at her._

Alicia- Tech boy!

Felix- My name is Felix! Felix V-Vestor!

_He fires at Alicia, who ducks to the side._

Alicia- I gave you good pay! I gave you a _job_!

Felix- C-consider this my resignation notice.

_All four of them advance on Alicia as she struggles to fight them all off, throwing out various inactivate gadgets that have no effect. Eventually, the girls manage to restrain Alicia and force her to face Felix._

Alicia- You're a moron, _Felix_.

Felix- No… I'm one of _the_ Morons.

_Felix fires on Alicia, knocking her out and snapping the screen to black._

_End episode._


	61. The Bulletin S1E3

**Episode Three: The Chase in East Ashmount**

Synopsis: Now that they've taken down Alicia Monet, the Morons are the number one target for several other café crews.

_We open on a seemingly silent street of Ashmount in the afternoon, the wind slightly blowing. Suddenly, Lauren's bike zooms across the screen, now with two side-cars installed. Lauren and Charlotte are on the bike while Becky and Felix each fill one of the side-cars. They are visibly celebrating, with a disco ball propped up, music playing, and Becky and Felix holding bottles and drinking. We see Alicia watching them as she walks away from the café, growling._

Alicia- Oh, they're going to regret the day they crossed Alicia MonAGH!

_As the bike passes Alicia, Lauren steers it to splash a puddle directly on her. A furious Alicia clenches her fists and walks away._

Alicia- AGH!

_We cut to the Morons bursting into the downstairs Bulletin, cheering._

Lauren- Hello, Bulletin!

Lavender- Free drinks for the Morons tonight!

Lily- Come buy their trading cards! I made them last night!

_The Morons stroll down to the bar where Lavender and Lily are waiting excitedly._

Lily- You really did it! You beat Alicia Monet!  


Charlotte- It was nothing really.

Felix- Piece of c-cake.

Becky- Hammer for me, Lav. Double the hemlock, please.

Lavender- You got it, amiga!

Becky- Oh, and I brought some new ingredients for you. Might give your drinks a kick.

_She pulls out various bottled creams and ointments._

Lavender- This stuff is from Jupiter Medicinal.

Charlotte- That medicine scam company?

Becky- My mom is _obsessed_ with the stuff. Used it on me all the time.

Lauren- How are you not dead?

Becky- Too resentful to die, I guess. Did pick up a taste for poison, though. Speaking of which, Hammer, please!

_Lavender slides Becky a shot glass that she quickly downs._

Felix- Um, we haven't met. I'm F-Felix.

Lily- I saw you with Alicia the other day!

Lauren- It was a dramatic betrayal of cinematic proportions.

Lily- Woah!

Lavender- No more gawking, Lil. Make them their drinks.

_After some bustle, the Morons are all served their drinks, and Lavender raises her glass._

Lavender- To Becky and the Morons for taking down the _former_ Queen of the Board!

Becky- To me for coming up with that great team name.

Felix- To me f-for giving you all your cool gadgets!

Lauren- To me for punching things!

Charlotte- To me for coming up with that plan!

Becky- I helped.

Charlotte- Your one suggestion was 'more poison' and it was discarded.

Becky- Unfairly.

Lauren- Interns only get half a vote.

Becky- _Felix_ voted with me.

Felix- It really wasn't that big of a deal. Charlotte's plan was really good. But if we're talking plans, none of it w-would happened without me.

Lauren- I feel like I should say something here, but I just enjoyed punching things.

_Charlotte pats Lauren's shoulder._

Charlotte- You did great, Laur.

Lauren- Don't patronize me.

Lavender- To the Morons, okay!

_The Morons raise their glasses, if a bit reluctantly._

Everyone- To the Morons!

_There's a moment of silence before Lily comes back and hands Felix a card with a crudely drawn picture of him._

Lily- Here's your card! Sorry I made it on short notice!  


Felix- Why is my defense s-so low?

Lily- Because you're, um…

Lavender- You're a twig, Felix.

Lauren- The more pressing issue is that nobody's come up to tell us how awesome we are!

_Charlotte looks around the bar to see everyone staring at them._

Charlotte- In fact… it kind of seems like everyone's staring at us.

Lavender- Yeah, about that…

Becky- Haven't you learned _anything_ from school politics?

_Becky dabs some cream from the Jupiter Medicinal bottles under her eyes as she speaks._

Becky- When you're fresh meat and you somehow land at the top of the pyramid, people aren't going to accept you right away. Alicia was bad, but they were _used_ to her. We beat her, but we haven't proven our mettle enough yet. They'll all be gunning for us.

_A collective gulp from the other three._

Felix- Maybe we sh-maybe we should take the day off.

Lauren- Oh, relax, Vestor! We just need to take a super expensive job to show our stuff again!

Charlotte- Agreed. Let's go.

Becky- What? Who died and then left their territory in shambles, leading to a war of succession which killed thousands but you ultimately won?

Felix- On s-second thought, I'm with Charlotte here.

Becky- Coward.

Felix- Contrarian.

Becky- Well, fine, I guess Charlotte can be the one we arbitrarily call our leader.

Charlotte- Shut up, Poller.

Becky- Well, I'm _sorry_ I didn't realize I was signing up for a long term mercenary gig.

Lauren- Oh, come on! This is fun!

Lavender- And do I need to show you your tab again?

Becky- Ugh, let's go take the job.

_We cut to them looking at various jobs on the Board._

Felix- Beach cleanup?

Charlotte- Not glamorous enough.

Lauren- Stealing a rare poisonous plant?

Becky- Ooh, yes!

Charlotte- We need something _flashier_ , Becky.

Becky- Well, I _guess_ there was this diamond heist, but-

Charlotte- We're doing that one! End of story!

_Charlotte slams her dart into the contract, but immediately afterwards a playing card, a tennis ball, a knife, and a communion wafer all slam into it._

Felix- Uh-oh.

Becky- Told you…

_They look up to see four groups glaring at them: a group of women dressed like nuns, children with various sports equipment, children dressed like magicians, and an elephant, an eagle, and a squirrel._

Lauren- What even…

Charlotte- We can take them.

_The groups all stare at the Morons for a second, then turn around and go their separate ways._

Becky- Well, we're screwed.

Lauren- We'll be fine. I'm sure Vestor can hook us up with some gadgets.

Felix- Was st-staying up late tricking out your bike not enough?

Charlotte- Get ready, everyone. We head out in half an hour.

Felix- I also made team uniforms!

_Becky heads back to Lavender at the bar._

Becky- Hey, Lav-

Lavender- I'm not coming with you, Beck.

Becky- I _know_ that. But you can talk to us.

Lavender- Possibly.

Becky- Look, we barely know anything about these other mercenaries. They're new here, and Felix and I have never seen field action. You're a bartender. You know everyone.

Lavender- That is a _stereotype_.

Becky- Throw us a bone here.

_Lavender sighs._

Lavender- Fine, but _only_ because I like seeing you get outside.

_The Headhunter's voice sounds out._

Headhunter- Could all the crews signed up for the diamond job please come to the briefing room?

_We cut to the Headhunter explaining a job over shots of a beautiful teenage girl surrounded by luxury: Lina Liev._

Headhunter- Today's job comes from a bitter ex-boyfriend. Oh, the drama! The target is teenage socialite Lina Liev, specifically the seventeen carats of diamonds around her neck! Apparently it was a gift of some kind, and she kept it after their breakup. Ouch!

Charlotte- Girl like that is bound to have some security. This reward had better be good, Headhunter.

Headhunter- Oh, the reward _is_ the necklace. He doesn't want it, he just wants her to not have it. Sell it or keep it, whichever you like?

Becky- I don't suppose you'll let me-

Charlotte- We're selling it.

Becky- I already regret designating you the arbitrary team leader.

_We cut to the Morons standing on a roof, now in their new team uniforms, which are black spy suits with armored pads and various spots for gadgets. Becky has green highlights, Charlotte has blue, Lauren has red, and Felix has white. Becky's hair is in a braid, Lauren's in her usual ponytail, Charlotte's in a short ponytail, and Felix's is tied up to keep it out of his eyes. Becky aims down the scope of her sniper rifle to look at Lina, surrounded by guards._

Lauren- What're the visuals, Green?

Becky- Oh, we are _not_ doing codenames. I tolerated you calling me Poller, but that is just _too far_.

Charlotte- Would you prefer Rebecca?

Becky- Would you prefer to be shot in the neck with a poison dart?

Felix- Just tell us how many guards there are!

Becky- Like, seven, I think?

Charlotte- What, you can't count?

Becky- Would you put it past me? I haven't exactly had the most extensive education. But fine, there's eight of them.

Lauren- Look.

_Lauren points to another group of guards waiting by another building._

Lauren- Seven guards by that building.

Felix- We c-can handle them, don't you think, Red?

_Lauren grins, and Charlotte sighs._

Charlotte- Alright, then. Me and Becky take the inside of the store and the necklace. Lauren, you're on getaway duty.

Lauren- Like I'd let someone else drive my bike.

Charlotte- You let me go for a couple of spins last-

Lauren- Let's go!

_We cut to Lina in the jewelry store as she examines various earrings. The shopkeeper eagerly offers her some pieces._

Shopkeeper- Ms. Liev, please consider taking a look at these. And of course, they're all on discount. A lady of your status wearing one of my pieces would be the greatest honor of all.

Lina- Ugh, these are all so _boring_! Find me something less boring!

Shopkeeper- These are our highest end items-

Lina- From where? Boringville?!

_Lina laughs at her own 'joke' as the shopkeeper is struck by a dart that crashes through the window and collapses._

Lina- Wow, I didn't know I was _that_ funny.

Guard- Ms. Liev, get back! We've been compromised.

_The guard pulls out a walkie talkie._

Guard- Backup guards, get in the store! We have a situation!

_The guards outside the store begin running towards the store only for Lauren and Felix to pull up on the bike in front of them and dismount._

Felix- Can we have a m-moment of your time?

Lauren- Nice line, Vestor.

Felix- I practiced it.

_We see Becky aiming her rifle from the rooftops, taking out two more guards. One guard tries to run out of the store and spots her, pointing and shouting to the others._

Becky- Oh, _great_.

_Becky quickly shoots the guard that ran out of the store, then throws down a rope from the roof and slide down. Meanwhile, Charlotte climbs up the outside wall of the jewelry store and to the roof, opening up a hatch and sliding in. Lina is against a wall in the store with two guards around her. Charlotte pokes her head down from the ceiling and shoots the two guards with her shock pistol._

Lina- AH!

Charlotte- Chill.

Lina- NO!

Charlotte- Give me your necklace.

_Lina curls her nose._

Lina- This old thing? Sure.

_She takes the necklace off and gives it to Charlotte._

Lina- I'll consider this my monthly charity to the poor.

Charlotte- This was supposed to be vindication from a bitter ex. Can you at least pretend to be shocked or angry?

Lina- Ooh, I took a three day community theater course run by a very dramatic girl. Gasp! How could you!?

Guard- Hey, she's got the necklace.

_The other guards rush towards Charlotte and she's unable to get out of the way before she's knocked down to the floor. She presses to her earpiece._

Charlotte- Becky!  


_Becky sighs as she walks up to the window of the jewelry store._

Becky- Put on your gas mask, Charlotte.

_Becky tosses in a sphere that explodes into green gas. Charlotte slips on a gas mask as the guards approaching her slowly collapse, as well as Lina. Charlotte strolls out of the store._

Charlotte- That really should have been our opening move.

Becky- Actually, it said on the can that it was only to be used for dramatic purposes.

Charlotte- Convenient.

_They turn around to see Lauren slamming her axe into a guard, sparks flying as they go out cold. The other three remaining guards run away, but Felix aims a gun at them as various disks unfurl, focusing a white bolt that arcs between all three of them as they all collapse. Charlotte whistles._

Charlotte- Not bad.

_Lauren gets on the bike._

Lauren- Hop on. It's a long way from East Ashmount to the Bulletin.

Becky- You sure we can't stay a while? I never get the chance to come up here, and the east has the _best_ quality goods.

Felix- No time.

_Becky rolls her eyes as they all get on the bike and Lauren takes off._

Lauren- Think the other teams lost the girl's trail?

Felix- M-maybe. Hopefully.

Becky- Not a chance.

Charlotte- Let me guess, another pessimistic pretentious lecture?

Becky- Aren't you a pessimist?

Charlotte- I'm a pragmatist.

Becky- Then you know that the other crews were just waiting for us to grab the necklace for them. This job is far from over.

Felix- There's a s-secret compartment I installed in the front of the bike. Put the necklace in there.

_Charlotte pulls out the necklace, but just as she does, a playing card flies through the air, carrying the necklace out of her hands and burying it in a wall across from them above several boxes of expensive shoes._

Becky- Well, there you-

Charlotte- Yep, you were right, Rebecca. We're moving on.

Becky- Appoint your heir now.

Felix- Get Lavender on the line!

Lauren- We can still get that necklace!

_Lauren begins speeding the bike towards the wall, but as they near, a thin boy leaps out of one of the shoeboxes, grabs the necklace, and disappears back into the box._

Charlotte- WHAT THE-

Becky- Lav! There's a card and a guy that did a thing with a box and-

_Lavender's voice sounds on their earpieces._

Lavender- Oh… you're dealing with the Woodsworth Magic Club.

Charlotte- The what? I thought I monitored all clubs within Woodsworth. I would know if the magic club was working for the Bulletin.

Becky- Trust me, nobody can keep track of _every_ club. They're all up to something.

Felix- Eyes up! They're o-they're over there!

_The Morons look behind them to see a very odd sight rounding the corner. It's a coffin with wheels and a steering wheel, and mounted upon it are three figures: Eric, a boy in a top hat, Nalini, a girl in a large turban, and Remy, the thin boy that leapt out of the box. Eric is dangling the necklace in front of his face._

Eric- Looking for _this_?!

Lauren- Give us back that necklace! We stole it fair and square!

Remy- Thievery is an dance, comrades, and the dance is never over. It circles and circles and-

Nalini- We get it, Rem. Chill.

Felix- Give us the necklace or w-we'll beat you up so bad that the carbon in your bodies will compress into diamonds itself!

_Felix looks to Lauren for affirmation._

Lauren- There was effort there, and I respect that.

Eric- I know what you all are thinking: who are the dazzling pictures of showmanship you see before you?

Becky- Guess we don't need you after all, Lav.

_The Magic Club poses dramatically._

Nalini- Nalini, the mystic extraordinaire!

Remy- Remy, the master of escape and teleportation!

Eric- And Eric, the card man!

Lauren- You call yourself the card man?

Becky- It sounds like the other two can do magic and you just do card tricks.

Charlotte- Let's see one of these card tricks.

Eric- Fine!

_Eric shuffles some cards over his shoulders and in front of him smugly._

Nalini- You idiot! The necklace!

Charlotte- Felix! Activate the diamond magnet!

_Felix thrusts forward a device that pulls the necklace out of Eric's pocket and into his hand._

Felix- One time use only.

_Becky rolls her eyes._

Becky- Convenient.

Lauren- Hang on!

_Lauren speeds away on the bike as Nalini hits Eric in the back of the head._

Nalini- _Why_ did you get to be the one with the necklace!

Eric- Because I'm the leader!

Remy- Leadership is just another form of showmanship, and you have not proven your mettle as a showman.

Eric- Oh, just drive, Remy!

_Remy takes the wheel as the coffin speeds down the road. Nalini looks into her crystal ball and a map of the city appears._

Nalini- They're heading to the construction site. I can map us a shortcut.

Eric- See, _that's_ why we keep you around.

Remy- Also because I could never be alone with you.

_We see the Morons speeding down the road as Felix adjusts some levers on a turret._

Charlotte- Will we be able to lose them?

Lavender- Unlikely. They have great navigational skills.

Becky- So do I. It's called the mapping app on my phone. By the way, we're heading for a construction site.

Lauren- Eh, whatever.

Felix- D-do we need to activate the extra tread? Hover mode?

Lauren- I've got a plan.

Becky- Well, that can't be good. Stick to punching, sheriff.

Charlotte- Hey!

_They near the construction site where there's a small crane upwards._

Lauren- Take the wheel, Char!  


_Charlotte steers the bike as Lauren stands up and chucks her axe up at the crane over and over again, causing to fall over the site._

Lauren- Won't get through that.

Becky- Oh. See, when you said you had a plan, I assumed you meant more than one action.

Charlotte and Lauren- Shut up, Becky.

Becky- At least Felix is on my side.

Felix- I'm s-super not.

Becky- Lavender?

Lavender- Sorry, amiga. Be nicer to your friends.

_We see the coffin approaching the collapsed crane._

Nalini- They predicted us following them! Predictions are my job!

Eric- Remy, the saw!

_Remy pulls out a saw and saws the coffin in half. Remy is on one half and Eric and Nalini are on the other. The two halves are able to fit around the collapsed crane on either side._

Eric- Follow them, Remy! Me and Nalini have a plan!  


_Eric swerves their course off._

Nalini- What's the plan?

_Eric grabs Nalini's crystal ball._

Eric- What should we do?

_Eric shakes the ball and it reads 'Try Again Later.'_

Eric- Dang it!

Nalini- I should have known…

_The Morons are driving through a street where lots of shoppers are passing by with various clothing boxes._

Felix- Guys!  


_Felix points and the girls see one of the coffin halves chasing them, but nobody's on it._

Becky- There's nobody on-

_She's cut off by Remy jumping out of a nearby shopper's box and kicking Becky in the face before leaping over the bike and disappearing into another shopper's box._

Becky- Agh!  


Lauren- Where did he come from?

Charlotte- Take him out!

_As Remy leaps back and forth, Charlotte, Becky, and Felix fire wildly at him, but to no avail. Felix narrows his eyes and watches as Remy leaps from box to box._

Lauren- Hang on!

_Lauren swerves around a corner._

Charlotte- He can just disappear like that?!

Becky- Of course he can. I'm too alive for this today.

_Becky pours herself a shot of poison and downs it._

Felix- Didn't you guys s-see the pattern?

Lauren- The pattern of us getting kicked in the face?

Felix- He was only coming out of boxes! Lauren, go- go by the river!

_Lauren switches lanes until they're driving by the river, where a boat is passing carrying various wooden boxes._

Felix- Here we go!

_As Remy leaps out of one of the boxes, Felix aims a weapon at him and fires. What follows is total overkill as Remy is caught in a net, electrocuted, hit with several non-lethal missiles, and a drone flies out to punch him in the face. Remy falls onto the boat, unmoving._

Becky- Overkill much?

Felix- It's still a work in pr-progress.

Eric- VENGEANCE!

_The Morons look up to see Felix and Nalini driving parallel to them on a rooftop. Eric tosses various cards at them which bounce off the bike with a clang._

Nalini- Remy's fine, right?

Felix- Yeah.

Nalini- Cool. Just let Eric be dramatic.

Eric- The crystal ball knew you'd be here… after a couple tries.

Charlotte- Lauren, go over the bridge.

Lauren- It's moving up!

Charlotte- Weren't you the one talking about awesome motorcycle jumps last weekend?

Lauren- Oh, that was a statement of excitement, not fear.

_Lauren swerves the bike again._

Becky- Wait, hold on! I never agreed to THIIIIIIIIIS!  


_Lauren drives up the bridge as it's moving upwards and makes the jump. Eric swerves the coffin off the roof and after them._

Nalini- Eric! The coffin can't make this jump!

Eric- Fear not, Nalini!

_As the coffin leaves the ground, Eric throws out all his cards and they form a pair of wings on the coffin. For a majestic second, the coffin is flying before Charlotte fires a couple pulse shots into the wings, sending the coffin plummeting into the river. Nalini and Eric hold on, soaked._

Eric- Curse you, Becky and the Morons!  


Nalini- Oh, can it.

_A pause._

Nalini- That was a pretty good trick, though.

_Back to the Morons._

Felix- N-nice jump, Lauren.

Becky- You were screaming the whole time.

Felix- I'm trying to be s- be supportive!

Lavender- I can't see anything, but you guys took out the Magic Club? Get back here muy rápido, before any other crews find you.

Charlotte- How much farther back to the café?

_Lauren checks the interface on the bike._

Lauren- Ten or twenty more minutes.

_As she finishes her sentence, a tennis ball slams into the map interface, cracking it._

Lauren- My bike!  


Felix- My brand new interface!

Becky- Was that a tennis ball…?

Lavender- Did you say tennis ball…?

Charlotte- Just tell us who we're dealing with.

Lavender- Scan the rooftops. That tennis ball came from a sniper!

Becky- A _what_?!

_Felix presses something on his suit and goggles fold onto his face. He looks at the buildings around him until he sees a figure on a rooftop. He zooms in to reveal a preppy-looking boy, Anderson, smugly tossing a tennis ball in the air and slamming it with a racquet._

Felix- I see-

Charlotte- DUCK!

_Charlotte pulls Felix down as the tennis ball flies past his face._

Lauren- I'm starting to regret driving. I can't see any of the cool stuff!

Charlotte- Just keep us on the road.

Becky- Lav, who are these people?

Lavender- The guy hitting tennis balls at you is Anderson. He's the leader of the Trophy Hunters.

Felix- Guys, it l-looks like he's about to make a dramatic speech.

_We see Anderson on the rooftop as he poses dramatically._

Anderson- You have met your match, Morons! For I and my good friends will-

_We see the Morons squinting at him on the rooftop._

Becky- He does know we can't hear him, right?

Lauren- We need to get out of his line of sight.

_Lauren turns another corner._

Lavender- You guys aren't safe yet. He's probably on the move as we speak.

Felix- On what?

_We cut to Anderson climbing down from the rooftop and into his golf cart, revving up the engine._

Anderson- Prepared to be service aced.

_Back to the Morons._

Lauren- Well, whatever. We've lost him for now.

Lavender- You'll have a harder time with his sister.

Charlotte- Ugh, why do you have to dramatically time your information?

Lavender- It's a Lopez family talent.

_A blur flies past the motorcycle._

Charlotte- What was that?

Lavender- Not what, who.

_The Morons look forward to see a girl in cross country gear, Brandi, who waves back at them._

Brandi- Hey, losers! Come on, get out here! Break a sweat!

Becky- I hate her already.

Lavender- That's Brandi. She's a cross country star at Forrester and a major annoyance.

_Brandi is suddenly running behind the motorcycle._

Brandi- So how are you guys doing? Any fun times lately?

Felix- Shouldn't you be trying to f-f-fight us?

Brandi- Oh, yeah. I should be getting to that.

_Brandi punches Felix in the face and grabs his suit._

Brandi- Give me that necklace or your friend gets it!

Charlotte- Fire!  


_Charlotte and Becky open fire on Brandi, but she disappears from view, speeding in from the side to backhand Becky._

Becky- Ow!

Brandi- I'm a star, people! I go from Woodsworth to Forrester and back twenty times a day.

Lauren- Ugh, shut _up_.

_Lauren brakes the bike to a halt, and Brandi skids to a stop._

Charlotte- Laur, what are you doing?!

Lauren- I challenge you to a race! Our bike vs. you!

_Brandi chuckles._

Brandi- You give me the necklace if I win?

Charlotte- No-

Lauren- Yes.

_Charlotte gives Lauren a look, but Lauren glares at her and she sighs._

Charlotte- Sure.

Brandi- Oh, super! Let me just stretch!

_She goes through ten stretches in two seconds, then gets ready to run._

Brandi- Okay, ready! Three, two, one, go!

_Lauren immediately swerves the bike around and slams the back wheel into Brandi as she starts running, sending her flying into the nearest building with a thud. Lauren then takes the bike off, skidding away._

Becky- Nice.

Lauren- Was that a compliment, Poller?

Becky- Shut up.

Lavender- I heard a thud. Was that a good thud or a bad thud.

Felix- Good f-for us.

Lavender- Great. The three of them won't be able to catch up with you now.

Charlotte- There's three of them?

Lavender- Have you not seen Terrence yet?

Becky- Lavender! Come on!

Lauren- GUYS!  


_Lauren tries to swerve the bike as a massive figure slams into the bike, knocking it into a convenient bouncy house. The Morons fall out of it, groaning. They stand up to see a large boy in a football uniform staring at them._

Lavender- Don't make a sound. Terrence is blind.

Terrence- Hey! Can one of you make a sound! I'm blind! It's really inconsiderate, honestly.

_Felix squirms, and Charlotte shakes her head at him._

Felix- B-but shouldn't we be accommodating to those w-with disabilities?

_As soon as he finishes, Terrence tackles him to the ground._

Felix- AGH!  


_Lauren slams her axe into Terrence, knocking him back a bit._

Terrence- Ouch!

Charlotte- Spread out, guys!

_The Morons spread out._

Terrence- This isn't personal, guys. I needed an extracurricular for my college application.

_Terrence stomps on the ground, and we see his view as shockwaves travel through, illuminating each of the Morons. He rushes Charlotte as she tries to climb up a wall, grabbing her leg._

Charlotte- Agh! Do something!  


_Lauren runs over and starts battering at Terrence while Felix tries to shoot him, but to no effect._

Lavender- He's too strong for you, guys!

_Suddenly, Terrence falls to the ground as Becky stands behind him with her dart gun._

Terrence- My ears! I can't hear!

Felix- What did you d-do to him?

Becky- Poison, obviously. He'll be deaf for a few hours.

Charlotte- That seems a little harsh.

Becky- 'You're welcome' would suffice.

_A tennis ball flies past Becky's face and the Morons see Brandi and Anderson both riding on the golf cart coming towards them._

Anderson- This isn't over! We're going to-

_The golf cart crashes into Terrence, knocking the air out of all three of them. Lauren hauls the bike up and the Morons scramble in as Lauren hits the gas._

Charlotte- Straight to the café. Maybe we can-

_She's interrupted by a barrage of gunfire from the air as Lauren quickly tries to avoid it._

Charlotte- Oh, _now_ what?!

Becky- I blame Charlotte.

Charlotte- What?

Becky- You _are_ the leader.

Lavender- Do I hear excessive gunfire?

Felix- Where's it c-coming from?

Lavender- Look up…

_The Morons slowly look up to see three women in nun clothing inside a giant hot air balloon in the shape of an angel._

Becky- You're kidding me…

Lavender- Morons… meet the Gun Nuns.

_We see the three nuns: Sister Superior, Sister Beth, and Sister Luna, shouting at the Morons as their hot air balloon nears them._

Superior- It's judgement day, Morons!

Felix- This doesn't s-seem very nun-like.

Luna- Oh, we're not nuns. We just like the aesthetic.

Becky- Also, hot air balloon was a poor choice of vehicle.

_Becky aims her rifle and fires a dart at the balloon. However, Luna intercepts them by throwing out some razor sharp communion wafers._

Luna- Our divine mount shall never fall.

Lauren- Char, take the wheel again.

_Charlotte yelps as she's forced to take the wheel. Lauren turns around and chucks her axe at the hot air balloon, smashing right through the wafers and hitting a hole into the balloon. The axe comes flying back to Lauren and the nuns gasp._

Beth- Our divine mount is falling!

Superior- Never fear, sisters! We must take initiative! Sister Beth, take the right! Sister Luna, take the left!

Beth and Luna- Yes, Sister Superior!

_The nuns scramble as their balloon collapses. Beth pulls out a massive crucifix and pole vaults onto a nearby rooftop. Luna does a series of complicated flips to land a roof on the other side of the street, and Sister Superior just falls with style, firing high speed rosary beads at the girls' bike._

Becky- Get us away, Lauren!

  
Lauren- What do you think I'm TRYING TO DO!?

_Lauren tries to go faster, but Luna chucks a communion wafer into the wheel, popping it and sending the bike skidding._

Morons- AAAAAH!

_Beth aims her crucifix and a massive rosary bead flies into the side of the bike with a crack._

Morons- AAAAH!

_All the while, Sister Superior is battering Becky with rosary beads._

Becky- Ow! Why me? Hit Felix instead!

Felix- Hey!

Charlotte- Felix, we need to split up! Didn't you install that thing!

Felix- It's a little d-demeaning to call it a _thing_. It's a mechanical separation-

Charlotte- Whatever, just do it!

_Felix taps some buttons and Becky and Felix's side cars detach from the main bike._

Becky- Where's the gas?  


Felix- It's pedal-powered.

_Becky looks down to see two pedals by her feet._

Becky- I hate my life.

_Becky and Felix pedal in different directions, each of them pursued by Luna and Beth respectively._

Lauren- Char, I need you to fix the wheel.

Charlotte- But what about the gunfire?

Lauren- Leave that to me.

_Lauren starts to wildly swerve around the lanes as Charlotte leans down to try and fix the wheel._

Superior- Taste faithfulness, Morons!  


_Sister Superior jumps from car to car as she fires at the girls, rosary beads bouncing off Charlotte's head. We cut to Becky pedaling down a street as Sister Luna chases after her, throwing wafers at her. Becky swerves and fires several darts, but Luna chops all of them in half._

Becky- That's pretty cool, actually.

Luna- They were blessed by a priest that was also an assassin.

Becky- Makes sense.

_Becky continues pedaling away, frantically pulling out her phone. We cut to Christopher receiving a call in the thrift shop._

Christopher- What's up, Becky?

Becky- PRESS THE RED BUTTON!!

Christopher- You got it.

_Christopher presses a button in front of him and we see the roof of the thrift shop unfold and a small missile fires out of it. As Becky pedals away from Luna, the missile slams into the ground behind Becky, releasing a poison mist that Luna chokes on. Becky ominously pedals through the poison cloud and over Luna with a crunch._

Luna- Ouch!

Becky- Where is your divine protection now…?

_We see Felix frantically pedaling away when Beth jumps in front of him, slamming her crucifix into his bike and knocking him out of his seat and onto the ground._

Felix- Ah!

_Beth slams the crucifix down and he jumps up to scramble away._

Felix- Now, now, Sister Beth, I'm sure we c-can work something out.

Beth- Don't say my name in vain.

_She hits him back with a thud, and a giant rosary bead thuds into his stomach._

Felix- …ow.

Beth- Any last words?

Felix- My god is science.

_Felix presses a button on his goggles and a bright light flashes. As Beth covers her eyes, Felix scrambles under her legs and goes to his crashed sidecar to grab something._

Beth- You're _dead_ , heathen!  


_She swings her crucifix, but robotic arms burst from Felix's back to catch it._

Beth- What?

_Her crucifix is wrenched from her hands, and Felix stands over her._

Felix- Any l- any last words?

Beth- I-

_He slams the crucifix down and she goes out cold. We cut to Charlotte and Lauren driving through traffic as Sister Superior pursues them, jumping across cars._

Passenger Woman- Darling, there's a nun on our car.

Passenger Man- My father always said that was good luck.

Lauren- Char, I need that wheel fixed!

Charlotte- I'm _working on it_!

Superior- Face me like martyrs!

_She fires a rosary bead that knocks some tape from Charlotte's hand, but luckily Lauren catches it and hands it back to her, allowing her to finish the repairs._

Charlotte- Done!  


Lauren- Now get her!

Charlotte- You're demanding today.

Lauren- Road rage.

_Charlotte turns back and fires several pulses at Sister Superior, but she pulls out an extremely long rosary chain and uses it to whip Charlotte's pistol from her hands._

Charlotte- OW!

Superior- Any confessions you need to make before I take that necklace?

Lauren- That's it!

_Lauren swerves the bike around to face Sister Superior, stopping on the sidewalk. Sister Superior jumps down from the traffic to face the two girls, fingering her rifle._

Charlotte- We can take her.

Lauren- _I_ can take her. You stand back.

Charlotte- Ugh, is this a weird honor thing? Lame.

_Lauren and Sister Superior stand off for a few seconds before Becky and Felix's sidecars slam into Sister Superior from either side, sending her crumpling to the ground._

Lauren- Hey! I wanted a fair fight.

Becky- Sure, and the rest of us want to go to bed at a reasonable hour.

_Felix presses a button and the sidecars slot back into the main bike._

Becky- Hey, a lot of help _you_ were that fight, Lav.

_Silence._

Becky- Lav? You there?

_No response._

Becky- Ugh, flakey much?

Charlotte- Should we be worried?

Becky- She's in the café. Nobody can get to her there.

Lauren- We're almost there, guys.

_Lauren starts driving again, but Felix is looking behind them._

Felix- G-guys…

Lauren- What is it?

Felix- There's a…

_Becky looks up from her nails._

Becky- Spit it out, Felix.

Felix- J-just _look_!

Lauren- That's bad driving etiquette.

_Everyone except for Lauren turns around to see an elephant running after them, an eagle and a squirrel perched atop its head. The squirrel draws its knife across its throat threateningly._

Charlotte- It's sort of beautiful…

Becky- But mostly terrifying.

Lauren- What is-

Charlotte, Becky, Felix- DRIVE!

_We zoom in on the animals and see that they all have nametags. The squirrel's name is Esteban, the eagle's name is Worthing Coxington III, and the elephant's name is Elephant. Suddenly, we hear static and Lavender's voice comes in, panting._

Lavender- What's going on?

Becky- Lav? You sound tired? What are you doing?

Lavender- Are the Zoo Fiends there?

Charlotte- I think so.

Felix- What do we do?

Lavender- I have to go soon, service is going out! But trip Elephant up and whatever you do, _don't_ let Esteban stab you. It's a real knife.

_Her voice crackles out._

Felix- Lavender?

Charlotte- Relax. We can handle ourselves without her.

_As she speaks, Worthing flies overhead, dropping Esteban directly onto Charlotte, and Esteban immediately begins trying to stab Charlotte. Charlotte holds out the squirrel in front of her._

Charlotte- AAAAAAAH!

Becky- Charlotte March, dictator extraordinaire, killed by a squirrel? That would be _gold_.

Charlotte- JUST GET IT OFF OF ME!

_Charlotte chucks Esteban at Becky and he is passed around from all the Morons to each other as they scream._

Esteban- *threatening squeaks*

Lauren- Pass him up!

_Felix chucks Esteban up as Lauren stands up and slams her axe into the squirrel, sending him flying into a wall. However, Worthing immediately flies onto Lauren, grabbing at her hair and preventing her from steering. The MoronMobile goes in circles around and around._

Morons- AAAAAAAH!

Felix- I g-got it!  


_Felix fires a net at Worthing, and the bike flies off the sidewalk into a nearby skate park, slamming down as an airbag unfolds. The Morons fall out of the bike, grunting._

Becky- _Ow_!

Lauren- Well, it's not like I _meant_ to crash!

Charlotte- Just help us pick up the bike and maybe we can-

_There's a crash as Elephant lands in front of the Morons. Becky immediately opens fire with some darts to no effect._

Becky- Ugh. She's too big.

Felix- B-Becky… get in the sidecar.

_Becky and Felix quickly get in their sidecars and pull them up as Lauren and Charlotte pull out some weapons._

Charlotte- You said you wanted a fair fight, right?

Lauren- Against a HUMAN, Char!

Charlotte- Picky, picky.

_Felix and Charlotte exchange a glance as Felix and Becky take off in their sidecars, driving behind Elephant. At the same time, Charlotte fires some pulses at Elephant, causing her to run at Charlotte._

Felix- Now!

_Felix and Becky fire tripwires out, catching Elephant's legs and tripping her up. They immediately fire out several nets, much to Lauren's surprise._

Lauren- Are you serious?

Charlotte- Oh, don't tell me you think you can take an elephant.

Lauren- I'm not _not_ saying that.

Becky- Just pick up your bike, sheriff.

Lauren- I like being called sheriff, but when you say it, it feels mean.

Becky- Thank you.

Felix- I love that we already can c-communicate with unspoken messages. It's very neat.

Lauren- Love the enthusiasm, Vestor. Now, help me-

_A card slices through Elephant's net and she rises up with a dramatic trumpet._

Becky- WHAT?!

_Esteban and Worthing appear as well, landing on Elephant._

Eric- Nobody expects a dramatic resurrection!

Charlotte- Oh god…

_Around the skate park, the magicians' coffin appears with all three of them looking very angry. The golf cart appears as well, containing Anderson, Brandi, and Terrence. And of course, rising from the ashes is the Gun Nuns' patched up hot air balloon._

Superior- We didn't even wait three days before we rose again!

Becky- What should we do now, _team leader_?

Charlotte- Run.

_The Morons scramble away as the other mercenaries descend on them. Sister Beth jumps down and slams her crucifix on the MoronMobile, partially breaking it._

Lauren and Felix- My bike!

_Tennis balls fly past Becky as she struggle with her rifle, trying to fire some darts at Anderson._

Eric- Nalini, what's the likelihood they win this?

_Nalini shakes her crystal ball._

Nalini- Unlikely.

_Charlotte jumps in and kicks Eric in the chest, grabbing Nalini's crystal ball and throwing it away. Unfortunately, Remy jumps up from a box and catches it, and the Magic Club surrounds Charlotte._

Eric- You've messed with the Woodsworth Magic Club for the last time…

_Lauren and Sister Beth do battle while Felix tries to scramble towards the bike._

Lauren- Can you fix it?

Felix- Oh, d-definitely.

Beth- Pride is a deadly sin!

_Lauren blocks Sister Beth as she tries to hit Felix, but Worthing flies down to grab Felix's hair, dragging him around the ground._

Felix- Owowowowowowowow!

_Charlotte gets knocked down next to him, and Becky falls as well, covered in tennis ball shaped bruised. Eventually Sister Beth catches Lauren in the stomach and the Morons all collapse together. Sister Superior cracks her rosary whip._

Superior- End of the line, Morons.

_Suddenly, all the Morons start to hear static in their earpieces._

Charlotte- Wh-what is that?

Becky- It's… it's Lav…

_A guitar riff rings out through the air and the other mercenaries turn as we see a figure in roller skates slide down into the skate park, leaping up into the air and striking a dramatic pose. It's Lavender, dressed in all white with a headpiece with long prominent horns._

Nalini- La Diabla Blanca…

Felix- Lavender?

_Lavender lands in front of the Morons and everyone else backs off almost by instinct._

Becky- You got out your old gear…

Lavender- Just wanted to make it a fair fight.

_She turns to the other mercenaries._

Lavender- You all never went this far, even with Alicia. But the Morons have still managed to fight all of you off…

Luna- Not all of us together.

Lavender- That's why I'm here.

_Esteban brandishes his knife and leaps at her, but she smacks him out of the air with her guitar._

Lavender- Felix, get to the bike, rapidamente.

_Felix scrambles back to the bike, pulling out a welder._

Lauren- Looking good, Lopez.

Lavender- Have to dust off my mercenary gear every now and then, right?

Becky- How much of the reward do you want?

Lavender- Oh, just buy some drinks tomorrow night… and be nicer to Lily.

Becky- Ugh, _fine_.

Charlotte- Lavender, watch out!  


_Lavender flips back as Sister Beth slams her crucifix down. Lavender plays a quick guitar riff and some darts fire out of the tip of her guitar, knocking Sister Beth unconscious._

Superior- Sister Beth!

Eric- Get them!

_Everyone bursts into action. Charlotte climbs up to a higher area, quickly pursued by Sister Luna._

Luna- Face your judgement!

Charlotte- Not until my paper trail catches up with me!

_Luna throws a wafer, but Charlotte kicks it back, pinning Luna's clothing to the wall. Charlotte fires an energy pulse, quickly knocking her out. Lauren and Becky defend Felix as he repairs the bike, with Becky still being peppered with tennis balls as Lauren duels with Terrence._

Becky- Sheriff, a little help here?

Lauren- Oh, I'm sorry, did you say something?

Becky- LAUREN, a little help here?

_Lauren hits a tennis ball back with her axe, slamming Anderson in the head and knocking him out. Becky returns the favor by spraying some gas directly into Terrence's face, causing him to collapse onto the bike._

Felix- Hey!

Becky- Sorry.

_Lauren looks at Lavender, who is currently riding Elephant while fighting off Sister Superior and Worthing._

Lauren- Your friend is pretty cool.

Becky- She's not my-

_Becky stops herself._

Becky- She is pretty cool, isn't she?

_Charlotte jumps down to the others._

Charlotte- How are the repairs?

Felix- D-done!

Becky- Lavender, over here!

_Lavender jumps off of Elephant, firing a fan of darts with a guitar riff as she gets over to the Morons. She helps Lauren to haul the bike up and stands on the back._

Felix- Later, losers!

_Lauren drives off, and the rest of the mercenaries quickly scramble to their other means of transportation and ride after them._

Lavender- I know a shortcut! Go through the abandoned sewage pipe!

Becky- Ew! Noooooo!

Charlotte- Suck it up, Becky.

_Lauren rides faster than she ever has before as the bike is bombarded with various projectiles from the other mercenaries. She ride in a pipe, and the other mercenaries quickly follow through, except for the Zoo Fiends, as Elephant gets stuck._

Lauren- How much farther until we're at the-

Becky- CAFÉ!

_Lauren looks ahead and sees the Bulletin. She brakes hard and the bike skids through the door, where the Shopmaster is stacking muffins. The other mercenaries burst in as the Morons rise to their feet._

Beth- You're dead, Morons!  


Shopmaster- Not quite!

_Everyone turns around to face him._

Shopmaster- You're inside the café now, my lovely employees. We can't have infighting within our place of business.

_Everyone reluctantly lowers their weapons._

Shopmaster- Becky and Morons, you may turn in your contract and keep your reward downstairs. Ms. Lopez… I'll forgive you missing hours just this once. Love the old gear, by the way. Are you coming back?

Lavender- No, Shopmaster. Bartending is all I signed up for.

Shopmaster- Shame. Well, you all should be on your way downstairs. We don't want too many suspicious gazes.

_The Morons are still out of breath as the other mercenaries walk past them._

Charlotte- We… we did it.

Lavender- You had help.

Superior- Not that much.

_The Morons turn to see the other mercenaries looking at them._

Anderson- That was some excellent stuff out there…

Eric- Maybe you do deserve to take Alicia's place…

Becky- It took all of that!?

Remy- We have high standards.

Mercenaries- To the Queens of the Board.

Lauren- I don't like that name at all.

Felix- And I'm a guy.

Becky- Doesn't mean you can't be a queen.

Charlotte- Still, I don't like naming ourselves after _Alicia_.

Nalini- How about… the Boardmasters?

_The Morons glance at each other._

Charlotte- I think we can work with that.

_End episode._


	62. The Bulletin S1E4

**Episode Four: The Brand New Crew**

Synopsis: Alicia assembles a team.

_We open on Alicia walking angrily down the street into the café._

Alicia- Twenty-seven iced lattes.

Shopmaster- Nice to see you, Alicia. I heard that you-

Alicia- Just let me down.

_The Shopmaster opens up the door to downstairs and Alicia walks into the real Bulletin. Everyone is staring at her and she looks around with a deadly gaze._

Alicia- Something to see here?

_Alicia's team sees her and approaches._

Team Member- Hey, boss, what are we-

Alicia- Shut up. We're taking the priciest job on the board today.

Team Member- Whatever you say, boss. Good luck.

Alicia- I don't need _luck_. I'm Alicia Monet.

Team Member- I heard that Felix left you and deactivated all your tech…

Alicia- _And_? You think I need some traitor's tech to complete a job?

Team Member- I, um… of course not.

Alicia- Good. Now get the crew ready to go.

_Alicia walks towards the camera and we transition to her skating down the streets of Ashmount, chasing after a truck as she weaves between traffic. Her eyes narrow as she jumps up and skates across the roofs of the cars. Guards poke their heads out from the truck only for Alicia to chuck her staff into his face, knocking him out._

Alicia- Yes! That recipe for delicious low-fat cheese will be _mine_!

_She jumps up, clinging onto the roof of the truck and pulling herself up as some guards come up from a door in the roof._

Guard- Nobody will get their hands on our precious low-fat cheese!  


Alicia- Not even… Alicia Monet!

_A pause._

Guard- You say that like we know who you are.

Alicia- Oh, you'd better remember.

_She slams the guard upside the head with her staff, cartwheeling to kick another guard in the stomach. They fall from the truck into the street and the remaining guard kicks Alicia's staff from her hands. She holds out her hand._

Alicia- Back to me!

_Nothing happens._

Alicia- Ugh, stupid tech boy!

Guard- What's the matter? Can't get your staff back?

Alicia- Stop pretending like you know anything about this show.

_She elbows him in the face and he falls._

Alicia- Now to get in…

_She rummages in her bag for a gadget and pulls one out, but her face falls._

Alicia- Oh… right. No gadgets.

_Her head slowly turns to a milk store up ahead. We cut to the driver of the car as milk splatters across one of the windows._

Driver- Huh, that's weird.

_He rolls down the window, and as he does, Alicia slips in, kicking past him to jump through to the back where some large guards armed with batons are standing._

Driver- What's going on back there?

Guard- There's a little girl raising her fists at us?

Alicia- If I'm a little girl, then this is going to be embarrassing.

_She flips to the guards and starts to do battle with them. In the chaos, the back door of the truck is opened, and some of the guards she defeats fly out the back._

Guard- Who sent you?!

Alicia- That's classified.

_She runs at him but he tackles against the wall, knocking the wind out of her._

Alicia- Gah!

_She knees him in the stomach but the other guard swipes his baton at her and she's forced to move dangerously close to the back of the truck._

Alicia- You don't have a chance! Don't you _know_ who I am! I'm Alicia MonAAAAAAAAAAH!

_The truck takes a sharp turn and Alicia's flung out of the back, looking very shocked. She barely manages to catch herself with her skates and stumble backwards, right into the table where her crew is playing cards._

Team Member- Oh, hey boss. Did you get the job done?

_Alicia breathes heavily and stands up._

Alicia- You all were USELESS!

Team Member- Um, were you expecting us to do something? You normally just have us sit around and-

Alicia- Agh! How am I supposed to beat those _morons_ if I can’t get a decent crew!

_She overturns the table._

Alicia- You're all fired!

Team Member- What? But-

Alicia- Leave before I knock you out. You're not on safe ground out here.

_Her crew scrambles away from the table as Alicia narrows her eyes, running her hand through her hair from stress._

Alicia- I _can._ I _can_ get a decent crew…

_She smiles._

Alicia- A crew good enough to put me back on top.

_Alicia laughs almost hysterically and we cut to the fighting pits inside the Bulletin, where Kira Adebayo is knocking aside three other fighters with her stick named Rock._

DJ Badboi- Oh! Three with one swipe! Kira Adebayo is on a roll today!

_Kira raises Rock._

Kira- Yeah! That's what I'm talking about!

DJ Badboi- We have a last minute challenger folks! I guess she wants to rub her previous victory in… it's Alicia Monet!

_The crowd is silent as Alicia walks into the arena smugly, eying Kira._

Alicia- Good to see you, strong girl.

Kira- My name's Kira.

Alicia- What do names really matter anyway?

Kira- It's an interesting question. Names are given to us by society, but sometimes we can reclaim them as a part of our own identity and give them meaning ourselves.

_Alicia just stares at her for a few seconds as the two girls circle each other._

Alicia- Sure.

Kira- Why are you back?

Alicia- Maybe I just want to thoroughly trounce you again… or maybe I want you to do something for me.

Kira- Sorry to break it to you, Monet, but you're not the Queen of the Board anymore. Those Morons beat you fair and square and now they're off robbing Lena Liev's priceless necklace.

Alicia- I'm putting together a team, Karen.

Kira- Kira.

Alicia- Whatever.

Kira- Don't you have a crew that you pay to sit around? I thought you liked working alone.

Alicia- The business is evolving. I need to evolve with it. With people like you, I'll be the Queen of the Board again. And every queen needs her court.

Kira- Does that make me a princess? Or a duchess? Or maybe a countess?

Alicia- Do you always go off on tangents like this?

Kira- Only when I want to annoy people.

DJ Badboi- Boo! This fight's taking too long! We all came here for a battle!

Kira- They're calling for us.

Alicia- Join my team.

_Kira thinks._

Kira- I'll tell you what… you put down your fancy stick and fight me hand to hand, and maybe I'll consider joining your little gang.

  
Alicia- And you'll put down your decidedly un-fancy stick?

Kira- You mean Rock? Sure.

_Both of them put their weapons down._

DJ Badboi- Oh! Looks like we're getting a good old fashioned fist fight!

Alicia- You'd better put up a decent fight or else I don’t even want you on my team.

Kira- But you don't want me to beat you, of course.

Alicia- The possibility never even crossed my mind.

_Kira punches at Alicia, who flips to the side and jumps at the other girl, kneeing her in the stomach._

Kira- Oof!

Alicia- Tut-tut, Kimberly. You'll have to do better than that.

Kira- It's KIRA!

_She grabs Alicia, pinning her against the wall of the arena and preparing to punch her._

Kira- This is gonna hurt.

Alicia- Well, I certainly hope so. I wouldn't want someone on my team that can't deliver a good punch.

Kira- Good for me. Bad for you.

_Alicia wraps her legs around Kira's arm pinning her to the wall and twists, causing Kira to drop her._

Kira- Ow!

_The two girls spar for a bit, both of them getting in some decent blows on the other. Eventually, Kira kicks Alicia to the ground and raises her foot._

Kira- I hope there's still some of you left to lead the crew after this.

Alicia- So you're in?

Kira- I'm-

_Alicia slides under her legs, scrambling up her back and wrapping her legs around her neck, pulling her to the ground and squeezing tight. Kira struggles but eventually taps out and Alicia releases._

DJ Badboi- Another victory for Alicia Monet!

Kira- God, you trying to kill me?

Alicia- Not unless you betray me.

_Kira stands up._

Kira- What's our first job?

_Alicia snickers._

Alicia- First, we get the rest of the crew. No offense, but you're not enough to get me back on top.

Kira- Well, maybe whoever else we get will actually remember my name.

Alicia- Just come with me.

Kira- Who are we getting?

Alicia- I don't answer questions. I'm Alicia Monet.

_Alicia turns and struts out of the arena and Kira follows, a bit confused. We cut to Alicia and Kira entering a fancy restaurant, Kira still carrying Rock with her._

Waiter- Can I seat you, ladies?

Alicia- We're with…

_Alicia looks at some writing on her hand._

Alicia- Mr. Becker. Where's he seated?

Waiter- He said he was waiting for _one_ more person.

_Kira grabs a tablecloth and drapes it over herself._

Kira- I'm not a person. I'm a ghooooooooost.

Waiter- Works for me.

_The waiter leads Alicia and Kira to a table where a very well dressed young boy, Noah Becker, is sitting and looking at the menu._

Noah- Excuse me, waiter? There's no fish legs on this menu.

Waiter- Sir, fish legs aren't a thing.

Noah- Ugh, does _nobody_ here have any class? Hold on, I know a guy.

_Noah sends a text on his phone and a chef bursts into the restaurant._

Chef- Noah! I came as soon as I heard! These people really don't have fish legs?!

Noah- Ugh, I _know._ Zero consideration.

Waiter- I… I'll just leave you to it.

_The waiter heads off and Noah looks up at Alicia and Kira._

Noah- And you are?

Kira- I'm a ghost.

Noah- You don’t sound very dead.

Kira- Death is just the absence of life, and so what does it meant to be alive? To have a beating heart or to truly, truly _live_ in a manner so described the poets of old? Perhaps we-

_Alicia yanks the tablecloth off of Kira._

Alicia- This is Karl.

Kira- It's actually Kira.

Alicia- And my name is Alicia Monet. It's a pleasure to meet you in person, Neil Bexley.

Noah- It's Noah Becker.

Alicia- Whatever.

Noah- Monet… not ringing a bell? You a client?

Alicia- Yes. A very prolific one, at that.

Noah- I only know my clients by their usernames.

Alicia- Ugh, fine. You might know me as xxxdraconiusmalevolentfanxxx.

Kira- What's Draconius Malevolent?

Noah- A character from Furry Sculptor. He's evil and-

Alicia- He's MISUNDERSTOOD. Ugh, I made that username years ago.

_Noah is looking at his phone._

Noah- Your account is two years old.

Alicia- Shut up, Nina.

Noah- My name is Noah.

Kira- Who is this guy, boss?

Alicia- He's-

Noah- Allow me to introduce _myself_. I am Noah Becker, and I have _connections_ , Kira. I acquire those rare and exotic goods which might be hard to procure otherwise and I sell them for a fair price!

Alicia- I've used him a lot for whatever weird parts tech boy needed.

Noah- Those were particularly hard finds, Ms. Monet, but I obliged as always.

_A delivery man comes in and dumps several boxes around Noah._

Noah- Ah, here's my latest batch!

Kira- What do you have there?

Noah- That's confidential between my clients and I. Now what can I do for you ladies?

Alicia- I want you on my team.

_Noah bursts out laughing._

Noah- Yeah, _sure_. Move along.

Alicia- I'm serious.

_Kira raises Rock threateningly._

Kira- Deadly serious.

_Noah raises his eyebrows and stands up, leaning forwards._

Noah- Tell me, Alicia Monet, why would I join your little crew and stop selling goods to every mercenary in the café?

Alicia- You'll be rewarded. We'll be completing the most expensive jobs.

Noah- Money's no issue for me. I doubt running errands with you and your little pet would pay better than my current business.

Kira- Who are you calling a PET, Delivery Man?!

_Kira advances towards Noah but he reaches into one of the boxes next to him, pulling out an advanced rifle and fires an electric pulse into Kira, knocking her out cold._

Noah- Don't sic your goon on me.

Alicia- Nice tech. Pretty advanced.

Noah- It’s a cheap knockoff from Bhutan. Good enough to fool most customers.

Alicia- Hm… so you're having trouble getting ahold of quality goods.

_Noah narrows his eyes._

Noah- I'm climbing the ranks. I'm networking. Soon I'll have the connections to get the real stuff.

Alicia- What if I could help you accelerate that process?

Noah- Oh, _please_ educate me on how joining your little crew would benefit my business.

Alicia- I only need a temporary crew, Nina. Enough to get me back on top of the Board and crush my rivals. And as mercenaries, we end up in some pretty high profile places… places with people that I'm sure you'd _love_ to network with.

Noah- It is tempting… you make a decent case, you Draconius apologist.

Alicia- I'm not having this conversation right now.

Noah- He was _prejudiced_!

Alicia- Are you joining the crew or not?!

_Noah stands up._

Noah- Ugh, fine. Making calls all day _does_ get slightly boring, after all.

Alicia- Trust me, with me, your life will be anything but boring.

_Kira rouses to consciousness, jumping up._

Kira- Oh god! Where am I? Am I actually a ghoooooost now?

Alicia- Enough. He's in.

Kira- Yay!

_Kira gives Noah a hearty pat on the back._

Kira- Noah, meet Rock. Rock, meet Noah.

Noah- An absolute pleasure. But Alicia, I can't help but feel like this crew feels incomplete…

Alicia- Three is the minimum for a crew.

Noah- I never deliver the bare minimum unless I can get away with it. Besides, there's other people we could get…

Alicia- Let me guess, you know a guy?

Noah- I know a girl.

_We cut to Alicia, Kira, and Noah walking into a Farrenburr Cosmetics store._

Alicia- You think we're going to find a mercenary in a Farrenburr Cosmetics?

Noah- Don't be so _judgy,_ Alicia.

Kira- Makeup is but a mask that covers your true self. A sign of insecurity, a sign of fear to be yourself… a sign of cowardice.

Alicia- Quiet, Kazakhstan. Where's your girl, Nomad?

Kira- It's Kira.

Noah- It's Noah.

Alicia- Whatever.

Noah- Ugh, fine. She's behind the cash register. Come on.

Alicia- We're recruiting a cashier? God, my standards have never been so low.

Noah- This girl's a genius, Alicia. Just wait.

_They reach the cash register._

Noah- Ilana! I have a proposition!

Ilana- Be right there, Noah!

_Ilana Carmel, a teenage girl dressed very finely and carrying a parasol._

Ilana- Oh, and you brought friends! Welcome to Farrenburr Cosmetics, ladies. Anything I can get you?

Kira- Actually, I could use some-

Alicia- Shush! Cashier girl, my name is Alicia Monet, and these are my loyal crewmates. You two, pose with me!

_Alicia, Kira, and Noah strike a pose together._

Ilana- Ooh, fun. Are you guys mercenaries?

Alicia- How do _you_ know about Bulletin?

Ilana- Noah talks to me. We're cousins.

Alicia- The Bulletin's supposed to be a secret, Nymeria!

Noah- Hardly matters now that we want Ilana to join the Bulletin herself.

Ilana- What's that? _Me_? A mercenary?

Alicia- Yes, Irma! I, Alicia Monet, want you to join my elite team of mercenaries!

_She pauses._

Alicia- Wait, do I?

Ilana- Hey!

Noah- Mean.

Alicia- I mean, she's shown no noticeable skills.

Ilana- Oh, there's lots I can do.

Noah- Lana, demonstrate for them.

Alicia- Well, whatever it is, it had better be good.

_Ilana puts up her parasol in front of her face, and when she lowers it, she looks identical to Alicia, even mimicking her voice._

Ilana- Is this good?

Alicia- Gah! An extremely attractive and surely very intelligent young woman! Oh, wait… it's me.

Kira- Woah! How'd you do that?!

_Ilana puts up her parasol again and becomes Kira._

Ilana- Woah! How'd you do that?

Noah- Isn't she good?

Alicia- How?

_Ilana becomes herself again._

Ilana- Trust me, it's easy with a few simple products from Farrenburr Cosmetics.

Alicia- You're not going to sell me something, Immolation.

_Kira grabs a ton of cosmetic products._

Kira- Speak for yourself, boss.

Ilana- So, you want me on your crew? It would be fun to get out of the store.

Alicia- Well, are you willing to do whatever it takes to get me back to the top of the Board,

Ilana- Sure, whatever. I just really like group activities.

Alicia- Are you willing to give your life for me?

_Ilana glances at Noah, who just shrugs and makes a 'crazy' gesture with his hand._

Ilana- Sure, Alicia. When do we start?

Alicia- Tonight. In fact… I have the perfect job to test my new crew.

_Alicia turns and struts away._

Kira- So… are we supposed to know what the job is?

_Alicia yells from outside the store._

Alicia- I'll text you the details!

Ilana- This is our new boss, Noah?

Noah- She seems fun.

_We cut to night in Northeast Ashmount, where three important-looking people are walking down the street. Noah approaches them, offering a card._

Noah- My name's Noah Becker, small business owner. Can I offer you a card?

VIP- Maybe later, kid. We have an important night.

Noah- If you want it, take it now. We don't have much time.

VIP- What do you-

_All three of them are suddenly knocked out by Kira swinging Rock across the back of all their heads._

Noah- Ugh, come on, Kira. I was _networking_.

_He tucks his business cards into their pockets and steals their wallets as Kira stuffs the VIPs into a nearby dumpster. Ilana walks out too, applying some makeup._

Ilana- Yikes. Remind me not to mess with you, girl.

Noah- Come on, you two. We have a casino to infiltrate.

_The three of them walk up to the Black Scorpion Casino. Ilana swipes up her parasol over the three of them, making them appear exactly like the VIPs they knocked out. They hold up their stolen ideas._

Ilana- Please let us in. We've very important people with very important things to do.

_The bouncer lets them in and we cut to Alicia slipping in through a window and clinging to the rafters of the casino. Her eyes zero in on a man surrounded by a security team._

Alicia- I have eyes on the target.

_Alicia jumps down and walks off with Kira._

Noah- Time to call in a favor.

_He walks up to a man behind the casino desk._

Noah- Hey, Pelier…

Pelier- Noah!? What… what are you doing here?

Noah- Don't worry about it. You owe me a favor, darling.

_Pelier sighs and leans in._

Pelier- What do you need?

Noah- Rig a machine for me. Just once.

_We cut to the man and his guards walking around the casino when Noah tugs on one of the guards and gestures to a slot machine._

Noah- Hey there, buckaroo! You look lucky today! Give this machine a try!

Guard- I have to stay with my boss…

Noah- Try your luck, sir! This machine's been especially rewarding tonight.

_The guard reluctantly puts in some tokens and the slot machine spins before landing on three diamonds._

Noah- You won!

Guard- I… I won! Hey, guys! I won!

_The other guards gather around, and Ilana quickly changes herself into another young girl, running up to the target and tugging on his sleeve._

Ilana- Daddy!

Target- Harper? What are you-

Ilana- It's Mom! She passed out on the floor and she won't wake up!

Target- What?!

Ilana- Come on!

_She leads him away from the ground as Noah gestures the guards over to Alicia._

Noah- Go with my associate over there to collect your prize money!

Guard- Are you both children?

Alicia- That's rude. I just have a youthful face.

_She leads the guards over and Noah rushes off. We cut to Alicia leading the guards into a room._

Alicia- Okay, stay in here.

Guard- When do I get my money.

_Kira appears behind Alicia._

Kira- Money is a societal construct, boys.

_Kira and Alicia step into the room and shut the door and we immediately cut to them stepping out, dusting off their hands._

Alicia- Nice work.

Kira- Not bad yourself, Monet.

_Another casino guest passes by and Alicia blocks the door._

Alicia- Sorry, not in here. They're… all partied out.

_Ilana is leading the target down a hallway._

Target- What happened to your mother? Is your brother with-

_Ilana assumes her normal appearance._

Target- What the-

_Ilana pushes him down an empty hall and strikes him upside the head with her parasol, opening it in his face._

Target- You're not my daughter.

Ilana- Sorry, no. I'm sure she's great.

_The target raises his fists only to be shot by a pulse and fall unconscious as Noah walks up behind Ilana._

Ilana- Thanks.

Noah- Eh, you could have handled it.

_Noah pulls out a body bag._

Ilana- Who asked us to kidnap this guy again?

Noah- The waiter at his local restaurant. He stopped ordering the lobster.

Ilana- Why does that-

Noah- Just get him in the bag.

_We cut to Ilana and Noah dragging out the body bag. Ilana sweeps her parasol over them and they now appear to be cops. Noah makes a call on the phone._

Noah- Get me that car you promised, Vivian.

_In a couple seconds, a cop car pulls up and a woman gets out, giving Noah a look. Noah and Ilana get in, chucking the body bag in the back. They pull around to the back where Kira and Alicia are stuffing the guards into a dumpster. The two of them get in as well._

Alicia- You guys took the front seats? But I'm the boss.

Ilana- You can have shotgun next time.

Kira- So? Did we do good, boss?

_Alicia pauses._

Alicia- I think I found my crew…

Noah- Can't wait to continue the partnership.

Ilana- Ooh! Noah, can you order us team uniforms.

Noah- First we need a team name.

_The body bag starts to shake._

Target- Where am I? What the devil is going on here!?

_Alicia kicks the body bag and it goes silent._

Alicia- How about… Monet's Devils?

_The car drives off into the distance with like a super aesthetic shot of the moon over Ashmount._

_End episode._


	63. The Bulletin S1E5

**Episode Five: The Labyrinth in the Yard**

Synopsis: The Morons compete with the other crews in a contest set up by the Shopmaster.

_We open on the Morons and Lavender walking out from a restaurant across the street from the Bulletin._

Becky- Ugh, that was awful.

Lavender- Not _every_ restaurant serves poison with the meal, Beck.

Becky- It's a serious issue in our nation.

Charlotte- Well, we had to do _something_ to celebrate our newfound status.

Felix- Alicia n-never took us out for anything.

Lauren- Welcome to the good life, kid.

_Lavender hangs back with Becky._

Lavender- Hey… thanks for paying.

Becky- It's whatever. Wouldn't want your hard-earned money to go to waste just so we can celebrate.

Lauren- Should we copy Monet and do something cool with the contracts we collect?

Charlotte- Ew, no. I want to make _money_.

Felix- Do you know how expensive this t-t-tech is? We need as much money as we can get.

Charlotte- You reconsidered our offer to join the Morons, Lavender?

Lavender- I appreciate it, amiga, but bartending is more stable.

Becky- Plus, I need _someone_ who can make a decent Hammer.

Lavender- Hey, Lily's learning!

Becky- The last one she made me tasted like _poison_ , Lav. Metaphorical poison, not literal.

_The Morons and Lavender enter the Bulletin, but the Shopmaster isn't there._

Charlotte- Where's the Shopmaster?

Lavender- Eh, he'll be fine with us just heading down.

_They head down into the real café only to notice a crowd gathered around the center of the room._

Lauren- Looks like something big is happening.

_Lily rushes over from behind the bar._

Lily- Guys, guys! You have to see this!

Becky- What is it, small Lav?

Lily- It's-

Alicia- ME!

_The crowd parts to reveal Alicia and the Devils, now dressed in their new team outfits of red and black. Alicia has her usual jumpsuit with her paper sleeve and cape, Noah has a suit with tails, Kira has a sort of armor, and Ilana had a poofy skirt. All four of them have devil headpieces._

Alicia- Me, in this case, being Alicia Monet.

Becky- Yeah, we got that.

Charlotte- Who's the new crew? Finally found some people who can put up with you?

Alicia- These are Monet's Devils. Kathy, Neckerchief, and Illness.

Kira- It's Kira.

Noah- Noah.

Ilana- Ilana.

Felix- You think that a new c-crew can help you beat us? We're Becky and the Morons!

Noah- Seriously? That's your team name?

Kira- A team name doesn't have to be meaningful to us. It only carries meaning to those on the team, providing a sense of union and camaraderie amongst those it connects.

Lauren- No, Becky was just being awful as usual when she named us.

Becky- Guilty.

Lily- I'm selling Devils trading cards tonight! Stop by!

Lavender- Lily!

Lily- What, I like money.

Charlotte- Smart girl.

Lauren- You all aren’t honestly scared of this washed-up Monet girl and her lackeys, are you?

Nalini- I mean… a little bit.

_The Shopmaster enters on the stage, backed by the Headhunter._

Shopmaster- Silence, my mercenaries!  


_Everyone falls silent._

Headhunter- There's a special event today, courtesy of our own Shopmaster.

Shopmaster- Thank you, Headhunter. If you would all turn your attention to the Bulletin Board, you'll see that today there's a very special job.

_They all turn to see that the Board is empty except for a single contract._

Anderson- Unfortunately, I won't be able to make it. I have a game this-

Shopmaster- You've all already been signed up. It's a _requirement_ for café members.

Headhunter- But the reward will be great! Two hundred dollars per crew member!

Anderson- Oh, never mind. I'll be there.

Alicia- Oh, _please_. That reward belongs to me!

Noah- To us.

Alicia- What did I say?

Felix- What is this ch-challenge, exactly?

_The Shopmaster grins._

Shopmaster- Everybody, we're going to my house!

_We cut to everyone from the Bulletin walking into the Shopmaster's opulent mansion._

Luna- Woah!

Superior- Sister Luna! We do not believe in worldly pleasures!

Beth- I thought we weren't actually nuns?

Superior- Silence!

_Elephant and Nalini are talking as they enter._

Nalini- No worries, Elephant. I'm sure one day you'll get your big break in Hollywood!  


_Elephant bumps into a vase and it shatters on the ground. Nalini holds her crystal ball to it._

Nalini- Um… how much was that worth?

_The crystal ball swirls and her face falls._

Nalini- Oh…

Becky- You know, we could just steal something from here and it would probably net us more cash than this stupid competition.

Lavender- Trust me, you don't cross the Shopmaster unless you want a mandatory contract on your head.

_Lauren walks up to Charlotte._

Lauren- So what's the plan, Charlotte?

Charlotte- Whatever it is, we stick together. We're unstoppable as a group.

_Lauren grins and holds up a parasol, changing into Ilana._

Ilana- Thanks for the info.

_Charlotte looks around and sees Lauren gawking at the house._

Charlotte- Ugh! Get over here, Laur!

Lily- Whoa! How'd you get all this stuff, Mr. Shopmaster?

Shopmaster- Oh, Lily, I keep the _real_ jobs for myself.

Terrence- Where's the challenge, man? I have a game later today.

Headhunter- Why are you so worried about some silly football game?

Terrence- Dude, this could be my key to a college scholarship.

_Everyone bursts out laughing._

Noah- Who thinks about _college_ anymore?

_The Shopmaster throws open the windows to his balcony, revealing a sprawling roofed hedge maze in his yard._

Kira- Woah! That thing's awesome!  


Lavender- Oh, _this_. I remember having to do this back in the day.

Shopmaster- That's right, Lavender. This is my labyrinth. Hidden somewhere in the maze is the trophy, and the first to grab it will be declared the winner. Of course, you'll have to deal with some traps… and each other.

Alicia- Can you get deliveries in that thing?

Noah- Alicia, I can get deliveries _anywhere_.

Shopmaster- Prepare yourselves, my mercenaries. I'll meet you at the entrance soon.

Alicia- You all are about to get ALICIA MONET-ed.

Ilana- And company!

_The crews all dissipate, and Lavender and Lily are left behind._

Lavender- Any reason you brought us along?

Shopmaster- I have a camera feed to everything in the labyrinth. I thought we could watch it.

Lavender- You think I'll take joy in the suffering and stupidity of others?

_A pause._

Lavender- Get the popcorn.

Lily- Sounds kinda boring…

Headhunter- Hey, Lily! I've been collecting all those trading cards! Wanna play them with Uncle Headhunter?

_Lily grins._

Lily- My deck's unbeatable.

Shopmaster- Lavender… I noticed you've been drawn to that crew.

Lavender- Becky's my friend. Getting out there is good for her.

Shopmaster- And what about Ms. Monet? You don't at all feel bad that she lost her spot at the top? You two were friends once as well, if I recall.

_Lavender grits her teeth._

Lavender- I imagine she's survive. She's a little cucaracha, that one.

_We cut to all the crews at different entrances to the labyrinth, preparing themselves._

Lauren- That trophy is _ours_!

Felix- Just be on the l-lookout for Alicia. She's out for blood.

_The Shopmaster's voice projects out._

Shopmaster- Alright, everyone! The competition begins in three…two…one…go!

_All the crews rush into the maze._

Charlotte- Felix, can you see through this stuff?

_Felix presses a button on his goggles and looks around._

Felix- I don't see the trophy… but I do see Brandi.

_He aims his arm and a net flies out, moving through the various pathways of the maze and tracking down a high-speed Brandi, completely entangling her._

Brandi- Agh! _Felix_!

_Back to the Morons._

Charlotte- Nice.

_Becky walks forwards without the others._

Charlotte- Becky! Where are you going?

Becky- To find the trophy. Duh.

Charlotte- Stick with us.

_Becky curls her lip._

Becky- I can find this thing myself. I want this whole event over as soon as possible.

_Becky steps forward right into a hidden pit. The other Morons peer over._

Becky- AAAAGH!

Felix- F-feel like sticking with the group yet?

Becky- Shut up, Felix.

_We cut to Monet's Devils in a shootout with the Gun Nuns, ducking around the corner of the hedge mazes._

Alicia- Come on, how are you guys not doing this?!

Kira- You're not exactly helping, Allie.

Alicia- I'm providing _guidance_!

Ilana- Noah, I have an idea. Can you get me a spotlight?

Noah- I know a spotlight guy.

_Noah presses his phone and a drone flies in with a massive box. We cut to the nuns behind the maze._

Luna- Their fire stopped…

Superior- Don't let your guard down! Give them everything we have, Sisters!

_The three women whirl around the corner aiming their weapons only to see Ilana, now disguised as a very familiar figure with a heavenly glow around her._

Ilana- It is I… the Virgin Mary…

Beth- Gasp! Your Highness!

Superior- We don't say Your Highness, Sister Beth!

Luna- What do we say?

Superior- Your Holiestnestess.

Ilana- Fear not, my children…

Kira- Time to send you to heaven!

_Kira and Alicia rush past Ilana, bludgeoning the three women in the head and knocking them out cold._

Noah- Not bad, if I do say so myself.

Alicia- Ugh…

Ilana- What?

Alicia- Nice… nice plan, Ivanka.

Ilana- It's Ilana, but thanks.

Kira- What now, boss?

Alicia- Now we go take out those insufferable morons… then we get that trophy for ourselves.

Noah- You got it. Ilana, why don't you press that button on that parasol I bought you?

_Ilana presses a button on her parasol and it spins rapidly, functioning as a weedwhacker/drill. Ilana points it towards the hedge and carves a path for the Devils as they walk through. We cut to the Shopmaster and Lavender watching everything from inside the mansion._

Shopmaster- Well, regardless of your feelings about Ms. Monet, it is nice to see her working with a team again.

Lavender- She can't even remember their names.

Shopmaster- It's progress, Lavender. It'll make her much more useful to the Bulletin.

Lavender- I don't understand why you put up with her. She scares off some potential mercenaries.

Shopmaster- Her skill more than makes up for that.

Lavender- She's repeatedly threatened violence on café grounds, señor.

Shopmaster- But never acted.

_Lavender sighs._

Lavender- Sometimes I wish I had kept mentoring her.

Shopmaster- It would have made _my_ job a lot easier.

Lavender- Don't guilt me, Elijah. Working in the café was more stable.

_She glances over to Lily playing cards with the Headhunter._

Lavender- I still have to worry about getting Lil through middle school and high school. And saving up for her college.

_The Shopmaster's expression softens._

Shopmaster- And your college, Lav?

_Lavender just chuckles and grins._

Lavender- Aren't you glad I'll be working for you for longer?

_A pause._

Shopmaster- My package will be at your house tomorrow.

Lavender- I told you we don't want your charity.

Shopmaster- And yet I continue to provide it.

_They stand there, silent for a second._

Headhunter- Nooooo! You got me!

Lily- Told you my deck was awesome! High five!

_More silence._

Lavender- Thank you, Elijah.

Shopmaster- Think nothing of it. Now let's watch these morons destroy each other.

Lavender- Hey, those are my Morons.

_We cut to the Morons trying to navigate the maze._

Becky- We've been this way before.

Lauren- No we haven't! That leaf wasn't on the ground last time.

Becky- It _fell_ , Lauren.

Lauren- Felix, what's your calculation on that?

  
Felix- Erm.… I'm with Becky.

Charlotte- I swear we weren't going in circles…

Becky- Some leader you are. Alicia and her troupe have probably already grabbed that trophy.

Lauren- Be quiet, Poller! Charlotte's thinking.

Charlotte- Yeah… thanks, Laur.

Felix- Um, Ch-Charlotte?

Charlotte- _What_?

_Felix points to a massive circular hole running through the hedges._

Felix- I think that's new…

Becky- Nice, Felix.

Charlotte- Oh, you'll compliment _him_?

Becky- Don't be so _petty_ , Charlotte.

_Charlotte fumes as they walk through the hole._

Charlotte- That little… that little _intern_.

Lauren- Calm down, Char. You're supposed to be the level headed one.

_As they walk, they see the unconscious forms of Anderson and Terrence. Felix examines them with his goggles._

Lauren- Are they… dead?

Felix- What? N-no! Of course not!

Becky- Shame.

Charlotte- That's more of the competition out of the running.

_Lauren's ears suddenly perk up and she whirls around, her axe clashing against Kira's stick._

Lauren- Agh!

Kira- Darn. Thought I could sneak up on you.

Lauren- You're wearing massive armor and your footsteps sounded like thunder.

Kira- Jeez, everyone's a critic.

Charlotte- Guys, watch out for the rest of-

_Alicia leaps out, tackling Charlotte into another part of the maze._

Becky- Oh, no, she's gone. Am I in charge now?

Felix- Becky!

_A drone hits Felix in the stomach and he and Noah begin to engage. Becky starts pouring herself a glass of poison._

Becky- You know, I think I'll just support from the sidelines today.

_Ilana enters in front of Becky._

Ilana- Afraid not.

_Becky groans and pulls out her rifle._

Becky- _Fine_.

_We see Lauren and Kira slamming each other into the hedge maze as they fight._

Kira- Woah! You're good!  


Lauren- I'm a literal sheriff, stick girl.

Kira- The stick's name is ROCK.

_Kira smacks Lauren into the hedge._

Kira- You know, hitting people into walls really has less of an impact when you're in a hedge maze.

Lauren- Guess I'll just have to _hit_ you.

Kira- Ooh! That was good!

Lauren- Stop complimenting me!

Kira- Maybe I don't need to stop. Maybe you need to start.

_Lauren slams her axe onto Rock, sending sparks flying._

Lauren- Stop making me overthink my attitude!

Kira- Self-reflection is _important_!

_To Noah and Felix._

Noah- Nice tech, kid.

Felix- We're the same age.

Noah- Noah. Noah Becker. Want my card?

_Felix unfolds a comically large gun._

Felix- I'll take it off your body.

_Noah presses some button on his phone and a drone delivers a similar gun._

Noah- I can get anything you can, darling.

Felix- But this is homemade!

Noah- This was made in someone's home… probably. Factories are like home to some people, right?

_Felix fires the gun and Noah dives to the side, firing his as well. It just clicks and doesn't shoot anything._

Felix- Hah!

Noah- Ugh, I'm suing someone.

_To Charlotte and Alicia as Alicia's staff slams against Charlotte's blade._

Charlotte- Couldn't beat us on your own, Alicia?

Alicia- Call it charity. I wanted other people to share the glory with.

Charlotte- Wow, you're a saint.

Alicia- Did I detect some sarcasm in your voice, Charlie?

Charlotte- It's Charlotte.

Alicia- Whatever. At least my crew has strong leadership.

Charlotte- I'm not taking leadership advice from _you_.

Alicia- One of your crew members is a sycophant, the other hates you, and tech boy just wants to try out his toys.

Charlotte- Your crew's better?

Alicia- Well, we're going to beat you, at least.

_Charlotte growls and revamps her attack. To Ilana and Becky as Becky lazily fires darts at Ilana._

Ilana- Honey, are you wearing Jupiter Medicinal?

Becky- What of it?

Ilana- You know that stuff's awful for you, right?

Becky- It'll be worse for you.

_Becky tosses a vial of poison at Ilana, but it just splatters across her parasol._

Ilana- Ugh, my parasol! Do you _know_ how much this cost?

Becky- The pricier it is, the more fun it is to destroy.

Ilana- You're a real piece of work, you know that?

Becky- I've heard that from lots of people. My coworkers, my friends, my parents, my therapist… every person I've ever met.

Ilana- Wanna go shopping and talk about it sometime?

Becky- Ew, no. But if I _did_ , when would you be available?

Ilana- I'll see you Tuesday.

Becky- If you're in a conscious state by then.

Ilana- I'm not worried about it.

_Ilana swipes her parasol at Becky, but Becky knocks it aside. It flies into the hedge, creating a hole that reveals a sparkling light. Becky and Ilana glance through and see a shining diamond trophy._

Ilana- The trophy…

Becky- Mine!

_All the other Morons and Devils snap their heads towards the trophy._

Charlotte and Alicia- Get that thing!

_They all rush through the hole, fighting with each other the whole time. Lauren chucks her axe at one of Noah's delivery drones, Charlotte drop kicks Ilana, Alicia trips Felix up with her staff, and Ilana points her parasol at Becky, puffing makeup right onto her face and making her cough._

Charlotte- It's mine!  


Alicia- It's mine!  


Noah- It's mine!  


Felix- It's mine!  


_Suddenly a large elephant trumpeting sounds out and the Zoo Fiends burst through the wall of the hedge. Worthing grabs Alicia's hair and drags her around._

Alicia- Agh! Get off me, you stupid bird!

_Noah picks up a flyswatter from a delivery and hits at Worthing, only hitting Alicia instead._

Alicia- Ow! Ow! Stop it!

Noah- Hold on, I've almost got it.

_Elephant charges into Kira and Lauren, knocking them aside._

Lauren- Ow… getting hit by an elephant kinda hurts…

Kira- Maybe… maybe the elephant is a metaphor…

Lauren- Shut up.

_Noah finally manages to swat at Worthing but that only results in Worthing pulling on him instead. Alicia and Charlotte both begin to run for the trophy while Ilana and Becky watch._

Ilana- Go Alicia!

Becky- Yeah, what she said.

Charlotte- I hate you, Becky!

_Alicia knocks Charlotte to the ground._

Alicia- Nice try, loser! That trophy belongs to Alicia Mon-

_Before she reaches the trophy, Esteban leaps from nowhere and grabs it, an alarm blaring out._

Alicia- NO!

_The Shopmaster's voice sounds out._

Shopmaster- We have a winner: the Zoo Fiends!

Alicia- No! Hold on! That trophy was mine!

_Esteban just threateningly holds up his knife. Charlotte huffs and gets up, pushing past Becky._

Becky- Nice try, Charlotte.

Charlotte- Oh, _shut up_.

_Elephant helps Kira and Lauren up, stroking them tenderly with her trunk._

Kira- Aw, thank you!  


_Lauren brushes her off to go talk with Charlotte. Felix rushes to her as well._

Felix- H-hey, Charlotte! It's okay!

_Becky looks after them and we cut to everyone walking home, Becky lingering back with Lavender._

Lavender- Why aren't you walking with your crew?

Becky- They're my crew, not my friends.

_Lavender looks at her concernedly._

Lavender- What happened?

Becky- The same thing that happens every time people spend enough time around me, Lav.

Lavender- You ever considered that maybe it's a problem with you?

Becky- Oh, I _know_ it's a problem with me. I just haven't ever found people that are worth changing myself for.

_Lavender purses her lips as the two girls look ahead at Lauren and Felix comforting Charlotte._

Lavender- Maybe you'll find those people someday…

_End episode._


	64. The Bulletin S1E6

**Episode Six: The Heist on LievTech Tower**

Synopsis: Becky and the Morons compete against Monet's Devils in a high-paying heist on LievTech.

_We open on the Morons at the Bulletin bar, talking with Lavender as Lily tries to teach Felix how to play with the trading cards._

Felix- So I just t-tap this card to the side?

Lily- Yeah! That's how you attack!

Charlotte- You've got a monopoly, Lily. You should raise prices.

Lily- But if it's too expensive for people to buy, then who am I going to play against?

Charlotte- You have to reach a certain price threshold and then you can-

Lauren- Chill, Char. Let her play her card game in peace.

_Charlotte huffs._

Becky- Another drink, please, Lav.

Lavender- Ugh, _fine_. What do you want this time?

Becky- Um… a water…

Lavender- _Really_?

Becky- I'm mixing it up. Trying new things, you could say.

_Lavender nods knowingly and smiles._

Lavender- Glad to hear it. Lil, no more cards. Back to work now.

Lily- Come on, Lavender!

Felix- I was just getting the hang of it!

Lily and Felix- _Please_!

Lavender- Five minutes, you two.

_She serves Becky the water and she sips on it._

Becky- Not awful.

Charlotte- Do you not drink water?

Becky- Many of the chemicals I consume contain both hydrogen and oxygen. I have no need for H20.

Lauren- Hydration is key. Otherwise you won't have the energy to beat the daylights out of people.

_Becky forces a smile._

Becky- Insightful observation, Lauren.

_Lavender leans over to whisper to her._

Lavender- You're trying too hard.

Becky- Thanks for the support, Lav.

Lily- Um, guys? They're sort of staring at us…

_Everyone turns to see Alicia and the Devils glaring daggers at all of them._

Charlotte- How long have they been like that for?

Kira- Ten minutes and counting!

Alicia- Shut up, Kaleidoscope.

Ilana- You guys were great at the labyrinth thing the other day.

Alicia- We don't _compliment_ the opposition!

Noah- Psh. The labyrinth was lame anyway. I know a labyrinth guy who could have made it better.

Headhunter- Hey! I think the Shopmaster's labyrinth is really cool!

Alicia- Can it, Headhunter. Go back to managing jobs.

Charlotte- Speaking of jobs, let's stop talking to these imbeciles and go take one.

Lauren- Agreed.

Becky- Hold on, I need to finish this water. It's actually not half bad.

_As the Morons get up to leave, Felix eyes the Devils._

Felix- Trust me, you three. In l-like three days you'll be begging to leave her service.

Kira, Ilana, and Noah- Good to know.

Alicia- Hey!

_The Morons examine the Bulletin Board until Charlotte spots a job._

Charlotte- Ooh! How about this heist on a LievTech blueprint that hasn't been patented yet!

Felix- A blueprint? Maybe I c-could get some ideas.

Lauren- I'd think any LievTech makes, you could make better.

Felix- Obviously, but it's nice to have information. Plus, Mr. Liev probably stole it from someone anyway.

Becky- Well…

_Charlotte turns to her expectedly._

Charlotte- Let me guess, you want to do something different?

_Becky sighs._

Becky- Let's start planning the LievTech thing.

_Charlotte is surprised._

Charlotte- Oh! Um… okay-

_A dart flies past Charlotte's face into the contract, and the Morons turn to see the Devils._

Lauren- Of course.

Alicia- What were you expecting?

Ilana- I heard LievTech is having a party tonight to celebrate the patent. It'll be exciting!

Charlotte- Whatever. We can take you. Anyone else wanna sign up and go against us?

_Silence._

Eric- Um, no thanks.

Beth- We'd rather just bet on the outcome.

Nalini- Twenty bucks on the Morons!  


Anderson- Did you use your crystal ball?

Nalini- Shut up!

_The Morons and Devils stare each other down._

Alicia- Let's do this, _morons_.

Charlotte- See you tonight, Monet.

_We cut to a swooping shot of LievTech Tower and within the tower itself as the Headhunter's voice explains the job._

Headhunter- Today's job comes from a bitter young tech entrepreneur. Apparently Mr. Liev stole his blueprints for a self-sustaining space station and is trying to pass it off as his own. The patent is scheduled to be finalized tonight. Break in and get the blueprints before it is. And the client wants this done without Liev's knowledge so they can patent it first.

_We see the Devils walking down the street and glancing up at the tower, which is bustling with bright lights and noise._

Ilana- That's some party he's throwing for one patent.

Noah- So many businesspeople… so many networking opportunities…

Alicia- Pick your jaw up on the floor. We've got a job to do.

Kira- You can get us in, right, Ilana?

Ilana- Oh, _Kira_. We're going to look so much like VIPs that the bouncer will let us in without even checking the list.

Noah- Think you can resist shouting out your name, Alicia? For the sake of stealth.

Alicia- Ha ha. Very funny.

_The other Devils snicker._

Alicia- Let's just make this quick. We don't want the _others_ getting in our way.

Ilana- Wonder how they're getting in.

_The camera zooms out from the Devils and quickly zooms into the top of a rooftop where the Morons are currently riding on the bike._

Felix- You ready, Lauren?

Lauren- Do the thing!

_Felix presses a button and the bike screeches to a halt, the wheels beginning to glow blue._

Becky- Um, Felix? Did you break the bike?

Charlotte- Becky, haven't you heard of dramatic buildUUUUUP!

_Charlotte's interrupted by the bike suddenly zooming, whizzing across several rooftops before the tower comes into the sight, the bike hurtling towards it._

Lauren- VESTOR!

Felix- H-hang on!

_Cockpits slide over the bike, keeping the Morons in as sparks crackle around the wheels and the bike quickly flips to ride up the building vertically. We see two socialites, Jack and Phoebe Goldenshire, inside the building._

Jack- Was… was that a bike riding vertically up the building?

Phoebe- Don't try and distract me, Jack. _Did_ you eat my hors d'oeuvres?

_The MoronMobile stops on the roof to the surprise of the few guards. The cockpits open and Lauren chucks her axes out, taking out all the guards on the roof as the Morons get out._

Lauren- You're scary, Vestor.

Felix- Working under Alicia, you learn to p-pour your anger into your work.

Becky- It shows.

Charlotte- Oh, the things I could do with that tech…

Felix- Hey! Café use only, r-remember?

Charlotte- Fine…

Becky- Let's get those blueprints. Lead the way, Charlotte.

Charlotte- I somehow missed the sarcasm there.

Becky- Relish it before I get tired of trying to be nice.

_We cut to the café, where Lavender and Lily are watching the whole thing on the television, the Shopmaster sitting at the bar._

Shopmaster- Ooh, a double heist. How exciting.

Lavender- You didn't bet on it, did you, Lil?

Lily- No… but why can't I?

_Lavender sighs._

Lavender- I'm not letting you throw away money for the chance of a payoff.

Shopmaster- Who were you going to bet on, Lily?

Lily- The Morons! Duh!

Shopmaster- H.H.! Put some money in for the Morons.

Headhunter- You got it!

Lily- Yay!

_Lavender eyes the Shopmaster, who just shrugs._

Lavender- How do you always have a feed of the jobs?

Shopmaster- I have a nephew in the White Guard. The Parliaments have cameras everywhere.

Lavender- So… did you place any bets of your own?

_The Shopmaster chuckles._

Shopmaster- I'm the Shopmaster, Ms. Lopez. I profit either way.

_We cut to the Devils walking up to the front door of the tower. Ilana sweeps her umbrella over all of them, making them not look like different people, but just a little more made up and adult. They march up to the bouncers._

Ilana- Follow my lead.

_She turns to the bouncers._

Ilana- I know, I know. We're fashionably late, sorry. Please step aside.

Bouncer- Names?

Noah- Do we _look_ like we have time to give our names!? We're clearly very important people.

Kira- Plus, names are arbitrary labels that society gives people and pretends like they define an entire individual!

Alicia- My name… my name is…

_All of the other Devils glare at her as she struggles not to say it._

Alicia- My…my… MY NAME IS ALICIA-

_Noah covers Alicia's mouth as Ilana presses a button on her parasol, puffing powder in the bouncer's faces and making their heads spin._

Ilana- Check the guest list. We're obviously on there.

_The bouncer struggles to look at the guest list._

Bouncer- I… I… I can't really read it…

Ilana- Ugh, whatever. Coming through!

_The Devils push past the dazed bouncers to the side and strut into the party. The camera zooms up the tower to the top, where the Morons are sneaking around LievTech offices._

Becky- Do you know where the patent's being kept?

Charlotte- Just look around. We'll find it eventually.

_Felix glances around at the walls, his goggles glowing._

Felix- All I s-see is lots of workers that look like they're not satisfied with their lot in life.

Charlotte- That's all office workers, Felix.

_Lauren hears something._

Lauren- I hear something!

_The Morons all hide, Charlotte under a table, Becky inside a comically large vase, Lauren in front of a painting, and Felix just activates cloaking technology. A worker walks by and they come out._

Felix- You guys looked really stupid.

Becky- Not everyone has cloaking technology.

Felix- Actually, you d-do.

Becky- Oh.

_Charlotte snickers._

Becky- Oh, whatever, Charlotte. Come on, let's just find that patent.

Lauren- Ugh, can't we go down to the party a little bit?

Charlotte- What, you're into parties now?

Lauren- I'm into _food_ , Char.

Charlotte- I told you to eat before we came.

Lauren- I wasn't _hungry_ then.

Becky- The party could actually be good to check out. Maybe someone there knows where we're keeping the thing. We can't search this whole tower.

Felix- Well, _I_ can.

Becky- Quiet, Felix.

Charlotte- Well, looks like the decision's been made for me.

Becky- You can still formally give the order if that makes you feel more secure with your position.

Charlotte- You taunting me, Becky?

Becky- Maybe.

_Charlotte chuckles._

Charlotte- As long as you're prepared to get taunted back.

Becky- Oh, please. Your insult game is as weak as watered-down cyanide.

_The Morons all laugh as they turn the corner right into a hallway where Lina Liev is pacing around and texting._

Lina- Gah!

Morons- Gah!

_Becky immediately pulls out her rifle and fires a dart past Lina's head._

Lina- Hey!

_The other Morons look at Becky._

Becky- What? I got jumpy.

Lina- Hey! You're those folks that stole my necklace!

Charlotte- You gave it to me.

Lina- Well, my friend Mackenzie just got a necklace _just_ like it and now I can't show off mine to prove that I got it first!  


Lauren- That really sucks for you. Now let us through.

Becky- We have business downstairs.

Lina- Um, excuse me. I don't think you understand the severity of the social repercussions _you_ have inflicted upon me.

Lauren- Don't understand, don't really want to.

_Lina narrows her eyes, pressing in on her belt. The Morons watch on as metal creeps up her body, covering her arms in massive gauntlets sparking with electricity._

Charlotte- Uh-oh.

Lina- Being the heir to LievTech does have _some_ benefits.

Felix- Um, guys…

Lauren- Get downstairs. I'll take her.

Charlotte- No, we'll take her-

Becky- Don't have to tell me twice.

_Becky starts rushing away, Felix closely following her. Charlotte groans._

Charlotte- _Fine_. Catch you later, Laur.

_Charlotte rushes after Becky and Felix, and Lauren takes out her axe, facing down Lina._

Lauren- There'll be a lot more than social repercussions this time.

_We cut to the Devils downstairs at the party, looking around for someone to help them._

Ilana- Do we have to steal something? Can't we just stay at this nice party?

Kira- Parties are events created by those with low self-esteem to make themselves feel alive, if only for one night.

Ilana- Well, way to put a damper on it, Kira.

Kira- I'm sorry. The thoughts just flow from me.

Noah- Well, your brain needs a dam.

Alicia- Silence! We should be interrogating the guests to find the location of the patent!

Kira- Sure, lead the way.

Alicia- Not _me_ , you. I have small cubes of cheese to eat!

Noah- I have networking to focus on, Alicia.

_A guest passes by Noah and he hands out his business card._

Noah- Noah Becker, assorted services. Pleasure to meet you.

Alicia- Just go! I'll catch up with you after I sample the various tiny cheeses!

Ilana- Ugh, _fine_. Come on, guys.

Kira- Bigger problem, you guys.

_She points to the stairwell, where Becky, Charlotte, and Felix are descending._

Becky- Won't we look out of place at a party?

Felix- N-not to worry! Your suits have built in formal wear!

_Felix presses a button and all of their outfits spontaneously turn into suits: Becky's green, Charlotte's blue, and Felix's white._

Charlotte- Nice.

Felix- You expected otherwise?

_Alicia smirks._

Alicia- Perfect. We can take them out before we even get to that patent.

_The Morons freeze as they reach the bottom of the stairs and spot the Devils._

Charlotte- It's the Devils…

_Alicia smugly eats a cube of cheese._

Becky- I haven't been to many parties lately. Is it socially acceptable to shoot someone with a poison dart?

Charlotte- Probably.

Felix- Sounds right to me.

_Becky pulls out her rifle and shoots a dart at Alicia, who ducks to the side. They're interrupted by Mr. Liev coming onstage to make a speech._

Mr. Liev- Hello, my friends! Are we enjoying the party? Thank you so much for coming to celebrate my new patent! These blueprints are the key to getting LievTech back off the ground and reestablishing our former glory! Let's give a warm welcome to Ms. Veele, the patent agent who in just a few short hours will certify this LievTech creation! It's not stolen, I swear!

Felix- P-patent agent?

Charlotte- She'll know where it is.

_The Morons and Devils both make a beeline for Veele._

Noah- Feel like helping us take them out, boss?

Alicia- Ugh, but they're all the way over there. And these nuts are _really_ good.

_The two groups subtly shoot at each other from across the ballroom, hitting and knocking out some other guests in the process._

Ilana- Oops.

Charlotte- Becky, you have better aim than that. Are you purposefully aiming for civilians?

Becky- Shush. Let me do my thing.

_The two groups begin to near both Veele and each other, Kira pulling out her stick and Charlotte beginning to take out a sword. However, before either of the groups can get to her, they're swept up in a group dance. Becky and Ilana end up dancing together._

Becky- Ugh, _what_?

Ilana- Oh, you don't like dancing?

Becky- Not with my enemies. Not at all, actually.

Ilana- You stood me up on Tuesday.

Becky- I was busy.

_Ilana stomps on Becky's foot and pushes her into Kira. Charlotte and Alicia dance while also trying to beat the daylights out of each other._

Charlotte- There were plenty of high paying jobs on that board.

Alicia- It's not about the _money_ , Chartreuse. It's about regaining my status as _queen_.

_Noah and Felix dance together._

Noah- How much for some of that neat tech?

Felix- Not for sale.

_Noah frowns and pulls Felix into a dip._

Noah- I could take you worldwide, darling.

_He slips a business card into Felix's breast pocket._

Noah- Think about it sometime.

_Felix turns bright red and scrambles away. Charlotte presses on her earpiece as she dances with strangers._

Charlotte- Laur? How's it going up there?

Lauren- It's… fine. It's fine. This girl's just surprisingly angry.

Lina- THIS IS WHAT YOU GET FOR CAUSING ME SLIGHT EMBARASSMENT!

Lauren- Ah!

Charlotte- Lauren!

_Charlotte is spun right into Becky and they begin to dance._

Becky- Seen the patent agent anywhere?

Charlotte- We have bigger problems. Lauren's in trouble.

_Becky sighs._

Becky- I'll go.

Charlotte- You?

Becky- Becky Poller, team player, at your service.

Charlotte- That's odd to hear.

Becky- It's odder to say.

Charlotte- Get over there quickly.

_Becky nods and rushes off. Charlotte ends up dancing with Felix._

Felix- Look over there! It's the patent agent!

_Charlotte looks to see Veele._

Charlotte- Good spot. Come on.

_Charlotte and Felix dance their way over to her, corning her, one of them dancing on each arm._

Veele- What are you children doing at this party?

_Charlotte holds up her sword to Veele's side._

Charlotte- Where's the patent?

_Veele gulps._

Veele- Fifth floor. Room 1304.

Felix- Thanks a million.

Charlotte- Felix, let's-

_Charlotte's eyes widen as Felix opens a parasol in front of his face, revealing himself to be Ilana._

Charlotte- You've got to be kidding me.

Ilana- Devils, come on!

_The Devils rush away and Charlotte growls as Felix rushes up next to her._

Felix- What's g-going on?

Charlotte- Quick! We have to-

_Charlotte realizes that the dancers have surrounded them._

Felix- How are we going to get out.

_Charlotte narrows her eyes, pulling out her sword, crackling with electricity._

Charlotte- I'm done with social norms…

_We cut to Lauren sparring with Lina, having a hard time contending with Lina's robotic gauntlets that make the room shake with every strike._

Lauren- Take those stupid things off and give me a fair fight!

Lina- No can do, loser.

_Lauren chucks her axe at Lina only for the other girl to catch it._

Lauren- Okay, well that's just cool.

Lina- Thank you!

_Lina chucks the axe back, knocking Lauren back into a wall._

Lina- I know there's no real point to this, but it just feels good to beat people up every now and then, you know?

Lauren- Oh, trust me. I know.

_Lina raises her fists before a canister bounces in front of her, exploding into gas._

Lina- Agh!

_Becky steps into the room, advancing towards Lina. Lina tries to punch at her, but Becky ducks under it, breaking a canister directly underneath Lina's nose._

Becky- Sleeeeeep…

_Lina falls to the ground, unconscious. Becky turns to Lauren._

Becky- Get up, moron.

Lauren- Is that moron with a lowercase or capital m?

Becky- Whatever.

Lauren- Poller… that was pretty cool.

_Becky allows herself a small smile._

Becky- Yeah. Um… thanks.

_A pause._

Becky- Ugh, just come on.

_We cut to Charlotte and Felix rushing up the stairs._

Felix- Who knew partygoers c-could put up such a good fight?

Charlotte- Not enough of a fight…

_They arrive at the fifth floor only to see a room broken into. Kira, Ilana, and Noah are walking out, Kira shattering the window._

Noah- Too late! That patent's ours!  


Kira- Time is rela-

Noah- Just get out the window, Kira!

_The three of them jump out the window, caught by some of Noah's delivery drones._

Ilana- Better luck next time!

Charlotte- Ugh!

Felix- Where's Alicia…?

_Lauren and Becky come rushing down._

Lauren- I'm here, I'm here!

Charlotte- No time for that! They're getting away!  


Felix- I got it!

_Felix presses a button and numerous crashes sound out until the MoronMobile comes crashing in from the ceiling._

Felix _\- Get in_.

_We cut to Ilana, Kira, and Noah driving a limo away. Noah checks the rearview mirror and gulps._

Noah- Of _course_ it couldn't be that easy.

_Ilana and Kira look backwards to see the MoronMobile crashing out of the tower window, riding down the tower and across the walls of several buildings before crashing onto the street._

Kira- What do we do?!

Noah- No worries, I know a guy.

_Noah picks up his phone with one hand as he drives._

Noah- Yeah, I need a delivery of one giant anvil… yeah, right on top of the bike behind me, please. Thanks.

_Lauren looks up to see a delivery drone carrying a massive anvil above the bike._

Charlotte- SWERVE!

_Lauren swerves to the side, accidentally getting up on the sidewalk._

Morons- AAAH!  


_Ilana opens up the roof of the limo, pointing her parasol at the bike and firing darts as it spins. Lauren swerves the bike again to avoid them, and Felix aims his gun and fires several large projectiles._

Ilana- Agh!

_Ilana ducks to the side, rolling and blocking the last with her parasol._

Becky- LAUREN! TUNNEL!

Lauren- What?!

_Lauren looks ahead and quickly steers to the side, the bike barely making it in through a tunnel. Noah receives a delivery in the car, tossing a canister of liquid over his shoulder and forcing the bike up the wall of the tunnel. Becky, Charlotte, and Felix open fire on the limo, but Ilana's able to block all of it._

Lauren- Agh, that's it! Char, take the wheel!

Charlotte- WHAT?!

_Lauren leaps from the bike onto the roof of limo, leaving Charlotte to scramble and steer the bike. Ilana and Lauren duel, but just as Lauren gets the upper hand, Kira scrambles onto the roof as well. Becky's darts thud into the car around them._

Lauren- Where's your boss?

Kira- She's not the one you need to worry about.

Ilana- Ooh! Fun line, Kira.

Kira- You think so? Thanks!

_The two of them engage Lauren, and though she holds her own, one well-placed kick from Kira sends her flying off the roof._

Charlotte- No!

_Charlotte swerves the bike from the wall to the street just as they exit the tunnel, and Becky grabs Lauren's arm as she flies by._

Becky- I got you!

_Lauren scrambles back onto the bike and takes the driver's seat again._

Lauren- Thanks, Poller!

Charlotte- The café! Over there!

Becky- We have to stop them fast!

Felix- I g-got it!

_Felix types into a keypad and grappling hook fires from the front of the bike, latching onto the back of the limo._

Felix- Reverse!

_Lauren guns the bike into reverse, screeching both vehicles to a halt as they struggle, the wire connecting them._

Lauren- Come on…

_Ilana gets back on the roof, her parasol going into buzzsaw mode as she prepares to cut the wire._

Becky- No!

_Charlotte opens fire on Ilana, stalling her progress as she struggles to block Charlotte's shots._

Ilana- Ugh, why do _I_ have to be on the roof again?

Noah- I'm driving!

Kira- And I'm tired.

Ilana- Whatever, it's fine, I guess.

_Ilana suddenly springs into action, ducking down and quickly cutting the wire. The limo zooms forwards and the bike zooms backwards right into a pile of trash bags._

Morons- AAAAAAH!

_A pause as the Morons recover._

Charlotte- Ugh, we _almost_ had them.

Felix- I was sure the wire would w-w-work.

Becky- Eh, don't get mad about it. You win some, you lose some.

Lauren- _Poller_? What is wrong with you today?

Becky- I can stop if you want.

Lauren- No, keep it… and thanks. For saving me back there.

Becky- Well, someone needs to be our chauffeur.

_The Morons laugh._

Charlotte- Ugh, alright. Let's head to the café.

Lauren- Can't believe they got away from us without Alicia.

_We cut to the Morons entering the café, where the Devils are sitting at a table._

Charlotte- Cashed in your contract that fast?

_The Devils exchange a smile._

Noah- Oh, we couldn't. Didn't complete the job.

Becky- _Excuse_ me?

Kira- I believe it's called a bamboozle.

Ilana- We never even took that patent in the first place.

Felix- Why not?

Charlotte- And _where's_ Alicia?

_We cut to Mr. Liev in his office when Alicia kicks the door open._

Mr. Liev- Gah!

Alicia- Mr. Levi…

Mr. Liev- Why are children always bursting into my offices!

Alicia- You're welcome.

Mr. Liev- You're welcome? For what? Some lunatics left a bike shaped hole in several floors of my tower!

Alicia- Those same lunatics tried to steal your patent tonight. I prevented that.

Mr. Liev- What…?

_Alicia sticks out her hand._

Alicia- Alicia Monet. I think we can work a way you can repay me.

Mr. Liev- Well, I do like to pay off my debts. You want to appear in Lina's next autotuned music video?

Alicia- I had something different in mind. You see, there's this irksome little tech boy that messed with all my toys. You're a tech man, Mr. Liberia… I'm sure you could undo that.

_Mr. Liev smiles._

Mr. Liev- It's certainly possible…

_End episode._


	65. The Bulletin S1E7

**Episode Seven: The Mansion on the Empty Boulevard**

Synopsis: Alicia and her Devils plan a trap for Becky and the Morons.

_We open on the Devils sitting on beanbags in the Monet mansion while Alicia lounges on the back of the couch._

Ilana- Nice place you've got, Alicia!

Noah- Who's the architect? I might have to call him for when I build my mansion.

Alicia- You're not rich enough for a mansion.

Noah- I _will_ be once I get my name out there!

Alicia- And Killer, get out of the pantry.

Kira- It's Kira, but I honestly don’t mind Killer.

Ilana- I assume you didn't invite to your mansion just to hang out as friends.

Alicia- Am I that obvious?

Noah- I'm surprised you even know what 'hanging out as friends' even means.

Alicia- Whatever! Now, my loyal employees, today we're going to discuss-

Kira- How to beat the Morons?

Alicia- You interrupted me!  


Ilana- To be fair, what _else_ would we be talking about? It's all you ever think about.

Alicia- We can do it this time! With Mr. Liev unblocked Tech Boy's gadgets, I have lots of fun toys to try out on them!

Noah- Even _with_ all those toys, they're still formidable.

Alicia- As much as I hate to admit it, you're right. Which is why we need to divide and conquer…

Ilana- Ooh, mysterious! How are we doing it?

_Alicia smiles._

Alicia- We're going to offer them a job…

_We cut to the Morons at the bar. Lily is bringing Becky another water that she immediately downs._

Lily- Um, should we really be giving her this much water? I know it's free and all, but still.

Lavender- Relax, hermana. She's making up for sixteen years of dehydration.

Becky- How does it taste like nothing and still so _refreshing_.

Charlotte- Yes, yes, it's a magical experience for you, I'm sure.

Felix- Just let her drink. It c-c-could be worse. It could be poison.

Becky- Don't tempt me.

Lauren- Drink whatever you need to. We want you in top shape.

_Becky slightly smiles._

Becky- You do?

_Lavender squeals._

Lavender- Of course they do! You're Becky Poller!

Charlotte- Of Becky and the Morons. Without you, we'd just be regular morons.

Anderson- Lavender! Brandi accidentally ran over a child again!

Lavender- Ugh, I'm coming!  


_Lavender walks away, and Lily plants her elbows on the bar, looking up at the Morons._

Lily- So what awesome mission are you guys going to do next.

Felix- S-something _really_ cool.

Lily- Woah!

Charlotte- We're doing whatever pays the most, Felix.

Felix- But that doesn't sound as good.

Lily- Lame!

Felix- Lily, why don't you pick?

Lily- Ooh, yeah! I wanna pick!

Charlotte- _Felix_.

_Lily looks at Charlotte with big sad eyes, and she relents._

Charlotte- Ugh, _fine_. Come on.

Lily- Yay!

_Lily jumps out of the bar, trampling Becky as she rushes over to the Board. Lauren helps Becky up._

Lauren- Kids can be a handful.

Becky- Now I understand why my mother regretted having one.

Lauren- What?

Becky- Oh, nothing. Come on.

_They walk over to the Bulletin Board as Lily looks around._

Lily- Lauren, lift me up!

Lauren- I'll do you one better.

_Lauren tosses Lily up in the air, much to the young girl's delight._

Lily- Ooh! I see one!  


_Lily takes one contract down and hands it to Charlotte._

Charlotte- A mansion having ghost problems? That just sounds like we'd be fixing a leaky pipe or something.

Felix- Well, you s-said high paying job. What's the pay?

_Charlotte looks, and her eyes go wide._

Charlotte- Wow… that's…

_She pauses._

Charlotte- Guys, we're going ghost-hunting!

Lily- Oh, I think Lavender went ghost hunting once back in her day! She has some outfits!

Felix- Um, b-but what about our suits. We need them.

Lily- Come on!

_Lily starts dragging Felix away, and he shrugs to the others._

Charlotte- I'm already regretting letting her pick this one…

_We cut to the Morons walking down a sunny street in Scooby Doo-esque garb. Felix has oversized glasses and a sweater that covers his entire lower face. Lauren's in a tank top and bell bottom jeans. Charlotte has a sweatervest and an ascot, and Becky's in a short dress._

Felix- This stuff is s-surprisingly comfortable.

Becky- For you. How am I supposed to fight in this?

Lauren- Women can both embrace our femininity and beat people into next week, Becky.

Charlotte- It says we're almost there… I don't see a mansion.

Felix- And it's not exactly prime ghost hunting weather.

_They turn the corner and the sky immediately turns gray and stormy as they're faced with the mansion at the end of Blackshrub Boulevard. Ominous crows fly over the mansion as lightning strikes._

Charlotte- Um…

Lauren- Yep. This is our place.

Felix- I s-suddenly feel the urge to say odd catchphrases and run away from monsters.

Becky- Please don’t.

Charlotte- There's no monster, Felix. Let's head in and find whatever's causing the issues with the house.

_We cut to the Morons entering the house, eerie music playing._

Becky- No ghosts in sight so far.

Felix- I d-don't like the look of this place. I'm a man of science. I _really_ can't deal with ghosts.

_A haunting wail sounds out, and Felix jumps into Lauren's arms._

Felix- Gah!

Lauren- You're too light, Vestor. Bulk up.

Charlotte- Come on, guys. Let's split up and look for clues!

Becky- Why should we split up? It's not like we're on a time limit or something.

Charlotte- It's just what people do in scary mansions.

Lauren- It does feel like the appropriate action to take.

Felix- We're g-governed by the conventions of our genre.

Becky- Ugh…

_The gang splits up, and we cut to Felix investigating the library. A rumble rings out and he jumps._

Felix- AH! What was that?!

_He backs up into a bookcase, causing a book to fall. The bookcase immediately starts to creak and turn._

Felix- Woah! A s-secret passageway!

_Felix peers in through the opening, but a looming figure rises over his shoulder. We cut to Charlotte investigating some files as Felix's voice can be heard._

Felix- AAAAAAAAAAH!

Charlotte- Felix!

_Felix comes running in, quickly followed by Lauren and Becky._

Lauren- What is it, Vestor?

Felix- Zonkles, guys… I saw a gh-gh-ghost!

Charlotte- A _ghost_!?

Becky- I'm sorry, can we go back to the fact that you just said 'Zonkles'?

Lauren- Where's the ghost?

Felix- Come on!

Becky- Wait, no! I DEMAND ANSWERS!

_We cut to the gang approaching the bookshelf._

Becky- Still don't see a ghost.

Felix- It was r-r-right there!

Lauren- Can ghosts turn invisible? Wait… can I even punch a ghost?

Becky- Probably not.

Lauren- NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

Charlotte- Holy Peekaboo, guys! Look at this!

Becky- _Please_ stop.

_They turn to see Charlotte standing over a trail of ectoplasm._

Felix- Is that gh-ghost juice?

Becky- Gross.

Charlotte- If we follow this trail, surely we'll find the location of the ghost!

Lauren- Ooga Booga, Char! You're right!

Becky- You're just saying _nonsense_.

Charlotte- Let's go!

_The gang follows the trail, and we cut to them finding where it ends._

Charlotte- The trail ends here…

Felix- But where's the ghost?

Becky- And what are those ominous footsteps behind us?

_The gang whirls around to see the ghost._

Ghost- AAAAAAAAH!

Morons- AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!

Charlotte- RUN!

_They engage in a very Scooby Doo chase scene, running in and out of various doors until they end up alone._

Becky- I think we lost it.

Charlotte- Let's set a trap, gang!

Lauren- We need someone to be the bait.

Becky- I nominate Felix.

Felix- N-no!

Becky- Yes.

Felix- No…

_Becky grins._

Becky- Yes…

_We cut to Felix being shoved out into the open._

Felix- Aw, g-gee. I sure am alone out here if any ghosts want to-

_The ghost pushes open a door._

Ghost- GAH!

Felix- AAAAAH!

_Felix turns and run, the ghost running after him. Charlotte and Becky hold out a tripwire, and Felix jumps over it. The ghost is sent skidding into a wall._

Becky- That _ghost_ sure does have a lot of weight.

Charlotte- Hold on… that's not a ghost at all!  


_Charlotte pulls off the ghost's mask to reveal Kira. The Morons Gasp._

Morons- Kira!  


Kira- And I would have gotten away with it if it weren't for you Morons!  


Becky- Okay, can we drop the whole retro schtick now?

Charlotte- Ugh, fine. What are you doing here? And where's your boss?

Alicia- Right here.

_The Morons whirl around to see Alicia._

Felix- Alicia!  


Alicia- In the flesh. Goodbye…

_Alicia taps her staff on the ground, and a trapdoor opens under the Morons._

Morons- AAAAAAAAH!

_They all fall down and Ilana and Noah step forward._

Alicia- You did your research on them?

Ilana- Of course.

Noah- I even got some footage from their homes.

Alicia- Good. Now let's go.

_We cut to Becky falling by herself into a small room._

Becky- Ugh…

_She sits up and looks dead-eyed at the camera, speaking in the driest tone known to man._

Becky- Yoinkers…

_We cut to Lauren falling into her own room, leaping to her feet._

Lauren- Get back here, Monet! I'll rip you limb from limb!

_Silence._

Lauren- Ugh. Loser.

_Lauren rolls up her sleeves and prepares to start climbing back up, but there's a sound from behind her and she turns to see footage being displayed: footage of Lauren. A voice sounds out._

Kira- Lauren Lee…

_Lauren narrows her eyes, bored._

Lauren- Yep. That sure is my name.

Kira- Come on, you're not supposed to reply to me. Um… what was my next line?

Lauren- Take all the time you need.

Kira- Thanks. Wait, no, I'm not supposed to respond. Ugh!

Lauren- Get to the point.

Kira- Wait, ok! Next footage.

_The footage switches to various clips of people asking Lauren to do things._

James- Lauren, quell the rebellion downstairs!

AJ- Lauren, fetch that cereal from the high shelf!

Charlotte- Lauren, come on this mission with me!

_The video buffers._

Lauren- It's buffering.

Kira- It is? Oh, come on! Wait, hold on! I got it!  


_The video just turns off._

Lauren- Now it just turned off.

Kira- I hate this job.

Lauren- Wanna give me the short recap?

Kira- It was supposed to be something about playing into your insecurities about people using you or whatever.

Lauren- Insecurities? Where'd you get that from?

Kira- Dude, I don't know. In my opinion, people often overblow tiny events into massive details about one's character way too much.

Lauren- People only use me when I feel like it. Anything else and I'd punch them in the face.

Kira- Power to you, girl.

Lauren- Are we done here?

Kira- Um, yeah, sure. Just don't tell Alicia I messed up.

Lauren- I won't be exchanging many words with her. Later, Adebayo.

Kira- Did I prod at your insecurities at all? Even a tiny bit?

_Lauren rolls her eyes._

Lauren- Not in the slightest.

_Lauren turns around to start climbing her way out._

Kira- Darn it.

_We cut to Charlotte falling into her room, getting to her feet immediately and aiming her stun pistol around the room._

Charlotte- Whoever's there, show yourself now and I'll only knock you out for two hours.

Alicia- Spotlight!

_A spotlight shines on Alicia and Charlotte immediately tries to shoot her, Alicia leaning her head to the side to avoid it._

Alicia- Oh, I wouldn't try that.

_Charlotte tries to shoot her again._

Alicia- Hey! I said not to try that!

Charlotte- No, you said _you_ wouldn't do that. And your opinion means less than nothing to me.

Alicia- I'm hurt. You don't want to take me on alone, loser, especially now that Mr. Liev got me all my toys back.

Charlotte- Oh, so _that's_ what you got out of him. He'll regret that.

Alicia- You won't get the chance to make him pay.

_Alicia spins her staff and jumps at Charlotte, and the two girls clash._

Alicia- Bet you wish you had your crew with you right now, don't you?

  
Charlotte- It would make you waste less of my time.

Alicia- Oh, please. You can hardly even _lead_ your crew.

_Charlotte growls._

Charlotte- You don't know what you're talking about.

Alicia- Oh, did I strike a nerve? You think I don't know about you, Chimichanga?

Charlotte- You don't even know my name.

Alicia- But I do know that you're currently babysitting Woodsworth.

Charlotte- _Leading_ it.

Alicia- It was handed to you. You think that makes you a leader?

Charlotte- Shut up.

Alicia- All you did was get together the only people that would listen to you so you could pretend like you deserve any respect.

Charlotte- Shut _up_.

_Alicia kicks Charlotte in the gut and sends her across the room._

Alicia- And _my_ crew is doing exactly what I need them to do.

Charlotte- And that is?

_Alicia touches her earpiece._

Alicia- You ready to go through with it?

_We cut to Ilana._

Ilana- Oh, I'm ready. I know when to be nice Alicia…

_She brushes her hair to the side._

Ilana- And I know when to be mean.

_We cut to Becky looking around her own room._

Becky- Of all the days to not bring corrosive acid on the mission…

_She sighs and pounds on the wall._

Becky- Ugh. Let me out!

_The wall flickers and Becky quickly steps back._

Becky- What?!

_The whole room starts to change around Becky, to a familiar house with sickly yellow and green walls._

Becky- Home…?

_A young girl walks in… a young Becky._

Becky- Ugh, is that _me_? Ew.

_Young Becky approaches a frazzled and haggard looking woman in a chair: Lyra Poller._

Young Becky- Mom, it's time to go to school!

Becky- I remember when I was _excited_ to go to school.

_Lyra turns around, glaring at Young Becky._

Lyra- Did you put your cream on this morning?

Young Becky- That cream feels icky! And those oils taste like poison!

_Lyra sharply inhales, immediately getting up and gripping Young Becky's face, dragging her to the kitchen counter. Becky winces. Ilana's voice sounds out._

Ilana- Remember this, Ms. Poller…?

Becky- Not this one specifically. All those times blended together after a while.

_Lyra rubs in a gross-looking cream on Young Becky's face._

Lyra- These products are our _livelihood_ , you nuisance, and you need to show some _appreciation_ for it! I didn't raise you just so you could bite the hand that feeds you!

_Lyra tosses Young Becky to the sides, dusting off her hands and fixing her hair._

Lyra- Anyway… I'm off. Jupiter Medicinal has a local partner's meeting.

Young Becky- But I need to get to school!

Lyra- Get a ride! I'm done with you bothering me this morning!

_Lyra stride out, and the room fades away, leaving Becky alone._

Becky- Very sad, very sad. Can I go now?

Ilana- She poisoned you, didn't she?

Becky- Metaphorically or literally? Because the answer is yes, with those shoddy products she gave me. I built up resistances to both types of poison, though.

_Ilana walks into the room, looking exactly like Lyra. Becky winces._

Ilana- Then why do you flinch when you see her?

Becky- Maybe I'm just sad for you that you look like her right now. Her makeup is _never_ on point.

Ilana- You can hide behind your little jokes and jabs, Becky, but we both know who you are. Your mother had it right. You're a nuisance.

_Becky grits her teeth._

Becky- What else is new?

Ilana- We've been watching you. We've seen you try and get all friendly with your crew.

_Ilana sweeps her parasol over her face, changing into Charlotte._

Becky- Good work rapport does wonders. You Devils should try it sometime.

_Ilana jabs Becky with her parasol._

Ilana- You'll always be poison, Becky. No matter how hard you try, you'll never get rid of it. And that's why people will never stick around.

Becky- You don't know what you're talking about.

Ilana- It's only a matter of time before you show your true colors to your crew again, and you think they need you? A crew only needs three people…

Becky- I'm a very good actress.

Ilana- So you want them to be friends with the fake Becky? Knowing that they'd never like the _real_ girl underneath?

_Becky falters and takes a few steps back, glaring hard at Ilana._

Becky- You really think I'll let the enemy convince me?

Ilana- I don't need to convince you of anything. Because deep down, you know that everything I've said is true.

_There's a pause._

Becky- I thought you were the nice one.

Ilana- I'm a very good actress too.

_We cut to Felix and Noah arguing in his room._

Noah- _Please_. I promise I'll find very responsible buyers for your tech!

Felix- N-no! I have an exclusive deal with the Morons!

Noah- But with Mr. Liev reactivating our stuff, we'll be able to find someone who can replicate it.

Felix- Sure, my old stuff. But I m-make new things pretty fast. Your tech will be obsolete before you know it.

_Noah flashily presents a business card._

Noah- Your name could be on one of these, Felix…

_He points to the various parts of the business card._

Noah- Name! Business! Address! Phone number! Quote from a dead celebrity! All in a snappy font.

Felix- It is slightly t-tempting…

Noah- Really?

Felix- No!

Noah- Come oooooooon!

Felix- Aren't you supposed to be exposing my insecurities or something?

Noah- What are they?

Felix- Mostly that I'll have to fight an actual gh-ghost.

Noah- Aha!

_Noah covers himself in a white sheet._

Noah- Give me your teeeech, moooortal.

Felix- Ah!

_Felix immediately zaps Noah unconscious._

Felix- Stupid tech stealing ghosts.

_We cut to Lauren climbing her way out of the trapdoor._

Lauren- Almost there…

_She makes it to the top to find Felix already there._

Felix- Hey, Lee.

Lauren- How'd you get up here so fast?!

Felix- There were stairs.

Lauren- Ah, the weakling solution.

Felix- Wh-where are the others?

_A yell from Charlotte can be heard from below._

Lauren- Char!

Felix- You can recognize her screams?

Lauren- I've saved her far too many times. But which tube did she fall through.

Felix- Uh…

_Felix points and we see that each of the tubes is labelled with one of the Morons' names._

Felix- They labelled them.

Lauren- Perfect!

_We cut to Lauren and Felix sliding into Charlotte's room as she's knocked back by Kira, Alicia standing at her side._

Lauren and Felix- Charlotte!

_They rush to her side._

Alicia- Oh, how cute. Rushing to your friend's defense.

Kira- Where's Noah?

Felix- You mean the gh-ghost thief?

Kira- What?

Felix- Never mind.

Lauren- Charlotte, just so we're clear, you don't just value me for utilitarian purposes, right?

Charlotte- What? No!

Lauren- Just checking.

Kira- Ha! I knew I chipped away just a little bit.

Lauren- It had nothing to do with you. Communication is healthy, that's all.

Alicia- Here's another PSA for you losers: Don't _mess_ with ALICIA MONET!

_Alicia leaps towards the three of them, cartwheeling to kick Felix in the face before dodging a punch from Lauren._

Kira- Go, boss!

Alicia- You're not just a cheerleader! If you couldn't make your Moron insecure, at least help me fight them!

_Charlotte and Lauren end up fighting Alicia while Felix frantically scrambles around Kira._

Charlotte- And just for the record, you don't just follow my leadership out of pity, do you?

Lauren- That's stupid. I don't follow anyone I don't want to.

Charlotte- That's what I thought.

Alicia- Ugh, exacerbating insecurities is so much harder when others are there to disprove your claims.

_Charlotte and Lauren knock Alicia back just as Felix shocks Kira into a wall. Alicia growls before tapping on her earpiece and listening. She immediately straightens up._

Lauren- Bad news?

Alicia- The very opposite.

_Alicia tosses a wad of cash at the Morons._

Alicia- Here's the cash we promised for the job.

_Ilana walks through the door, dragging Noah behind her._

Charlotte- What?

  
Alicia- Devils, we're out!

Lauren- Hold on, we're not done with-

_As Lauren rushes towards them, the Devils disappear down another trapdoor that quickly closes._

Lauren- Ugh!

Felix- At l-least we got the money.

Charlotte- Guys…

_The other two look to her._

Charlotte- If all the Devils are gone… then where's Becky?

_We cut to the path outside the mansion, now covered in mud due to a downpour of rain. There's a singular set of footprints leading away as we pan to see Becky trudging down the street. On her face is a mix of anger and sadness. The anger's at herself, though._

_She let herself hope._

_End episode._


	66. The Bulletin S1E8

**Episode Eight: The Straw that Broke Alicia's Back**

Synopsis: The Morons tackle the job that originally made Alicia famous; Lavender and Becky have a heart-to-heart.

_We open on Lavender and Lily mixing drinks together._

Lavender- Make them something good, Lily. They seem a little down.

Lily- They've been at the bar for like, three hours, Lav. Shouldn't they be out on a job by now.

Lavender- Everyone needs their time to mope. Remember when you broke my guitar last year?

Lily- I guess… are they gonna be okay?

_Lavender smiles, ruffling Lily's hair._

Lavender- Don't you worry about it, mariquita. They'll be just fine.

_Lavender and Lily finish up, bringing out the drinks to Charlotte, Lauren, and Felix, who are sitting at the bar, looking glum._

Lavender- Drinks are served!

_Charlotte sighs._

Charlotte- Thanks, Lavender.

_Lavender blows some hair from her eyes, patting Lily on the back._

Lavender- Lily, why don't you go serve our other guests?

_Lily heads off, and Lavender leans in to the Morons._

Lavender- You guys planning on doing a job today?

Felix- Have y-you seen Becky at all?

_Lavender purses her lips._

Lavender- Um… no. Not yet.

Lauren- She's not answering her phone at all.

Charlotte- Why is she avoiding us?

Felix- It m-must have been the Devils at the mansion. They must have said something to her.

Lavender- Well, wherever Beck is, I think you three should get out there. You can't mope forever.

Charlotte- We're not _moping_. Becky was a valuable asset.

Lavender- I… I think she might have been growing fond of you guys.

Lauren- She… she was?

Lavender- You know what, never mind. If you keep slacking on the job, the other crews might try and get ahead of you.

_Charlotte groans and gets up._

Charlotte- Lavender's probably right, guys. We should go pick a job.

_Lauren and Felix get to their feet._

Lauren- Got any recommendations, Lopez?

Lavender- Not really-

Nalini- THE PINOCHI CARNIVAL IS BACK IN TOWN!

_The entire café gasps._

Lauren- Are all the mercenaries big carnival enthusiasts or what?

Felix- N-no, it's not that…

Lavender- The Pinochi Carnival was the job that made Alicia famous. She stole the top prize from them and netted a massive paycheck.

Charlotte- All that fame from stealing a prize from a carnival?

Lavender- This carnival is _very_ defensive of their property.

Lauren- Can't be _that_ hard. Let's do it, Char.

Charlotte- It _would_ be fitting for us to take on this job and cement ourselves as the Boardmasters.

Felix- B-but Alicia and the Devils will probably take it, too.

Lauren- Oh, I hope they do! Wouldn't be a proper job without some competition!

Alicia- Oh, you bet we're taking that job!

_They turn to Alicia flanked by the Devils._

Charlotte- Glad to hear it.

Lauren- You ready to get absolutely destroyed?

Alicia- Oh, cute. They think they can beat us. Well, need I remind you that now you're outnumbered?

_Alicia smirks and the Morons' spirit diminishes. Lavender interrupts._

Lavender- Settle it on the job, guys. Right now you're clogging up my bar space.

Alicia- Fine by me. Devils, out!

_The Devils all snap simultaneously and walk towards the Board._

Charlotte- Come on.

_The Morons leave as well, and Lavender rests on the bar for a second._

Lavender- Lily, cover me for a minute or two!

Lily- Okay!

_Lavender heads behind the bar, opening a door to reveal Becky sitting on the ground, surrounded by various empty bottles with poison warnings on them._

Lavender- I thought I told you to stay out of the cabinets.

Becky- You also told me I couldn't be back here.

Lavender- Drinks are for paying customers, Beck.

Becky- Put it on my tab.

Lavender- Go on a job and make the money to pay for it.

Becky- You need a crew for a job, Lav.

Lavender- You _have_ a crew.

Becky- No. I don't.

_Lavender sighs._

Lavender- I got your friends to go on a job. They didn't want to go without you.

Becky- Oh, I'm sure they'll be fine. And they're _not_ my friends.

_Lavender sits down next to Becky, looked at her concernedly._

Lavender- What happened to you, amiga?

Becky- Nothing _happened_ to me. I just finally managed to realize that this whole thing is pointless. Playing along, pretending like I'm a member of the gang.

Lavender- There wasn't any pretending, Beck. The crew was called Becky and the Morons for a reason.

_Becky just falls silent, falling back to lie on the floor._

Lavender- Look, Beck, I'm not going to tell you what to do. But you were happier when you were working with them.

Becky- I'm never happy.

Lavender- You can't lie to me.

Becky- Why not? I lied to myself, didn't I? Told myself that I could be part of a team, that I could smile and laugh and… and care about people.

Lavender- Becky…

_Becky becomes irritated, brushing Lavender's hand aside as she reaches out._

Becky- I want to be alone.

Lavender- Want and need are two different things.

Becky- Well, can you at least be quiet?

Lavender- Fine.

_She pauses._

Lavender- But I'm here.

_Lavender and Becky sit in silence, and we cut to the Pinochi Carnival, which is set up a little outside the wall that surrounds Ashmount. Charlotte, Lauren, and Felix are perched on the wall, overlooking the carnival._

Lauren- Where's the prize?

_Charlotte points to a large stuffed rabbit hanging from a pole above the circus tent._

Charlotte- Over there. Fluffy the Rabbit, made of pure silk and stuffed with gold dust.

Felix- That just seems gratuitous.

Lauren- Thought this place was supposed to have killer security. Just looks like a normal carnival to me.

Felix- L-look closer. The clowns watch everything…

_Lauren narrows her eyes and we zoom in on various clowns throughout the carnival creepily swiveling their heads around._

Lauren- Freaky.

Charlotte- And it's not just the carnival security we have to worry about. The Devils _do_ outnumber us now…

_They're silent for a moment._

Felix- Yeah. And with all my old tech back, they'll be more dangerous than ever. H-heck, I made her some stuff for reasons I don't even know now.

Lauren- Where are Monet and her lackeys, anyway?

_We cut to inside an airplane, where Alicia is facing her Devils._

Alicia- This is the most important job we've _ever_ tackled, understand? I will NOT allow these upstarts to beat me at my most famous job!

Kira- Fame is a construct both of our minds and of the weight we place on the opinions of society and more specifically, the media.

Alicia- Shut up.

Ilana- How'd we get a private jet, anyway? It seems a bit extravagant.

Noah- Oh, I know a jet guy.

Ilana- Of course you do.

Alicia- We've splintered the Morons, now it's time to reclaim my RIGHTFUL place as the Queen of the Board!

Noah- We got it, boss.

Ilana- It's good to be passionate about your work, though!

Alicia- Thank you. Now let's go! For ME!

_The back of the plane opens and Alicia lets herself fall out, quickly followed by the other Devils. We cut back to the Morons on the wall as the Devils zoom past them in wingsuits._

Charlotte- Ugh, WHAT?!

Lauren- Come on, quickly!

_The Morons leap off the roof as the MoronMobile busts through the wall. They land in it and quickly ride after the Devils. A clown spots them and his jaw immediately dislocates like a snake._

Clown- REEEEEEEEEE!

Felix- They saw us!  


Charlotte- Obviously they saw us. We rode in on a massive motorcycle.

_The Devils land and immediately strike a cool pose._

Alicia- Get that rabbit!

_The Devils move out, attempting to find a way up to the top of the carnival tent._

Charlotte- After the-

_The Morons are forced to duck behind a carnival stands as a bunch of clowns open fire on them, shooting a barrage of little painful pellets._

Lauren- Ugh! I HATE clowns!

_We cut to Becky and Lavender sitting together._

Lavender- Ugh.

_Lavender gets up, dragging Becky to her feet._

Lavender- Come on, I have something you should watch.

Becky- Noooooo.

Lavender- Come on.

Becky- I don't WANNA!

_We cut to Lavender dragging Becky in front of the Shopmaster._

Lavender- Elijah!

Shopmaster- We're in the café, Ms. Lopez. That's Shopmaster to you.

Lavender- Whatever. You said your nephew was in the White Guard?

Shopmaster- Indeed.

Lavender- I need a camera feed of the carnival job.

Shopmaster- That's not something I can just hand out-

Lavender- It's for the purposes of character development.

Shopmaster- Oh, okay, then.

_We cut to Becky and Lavender sitting down in front of a live feed of the Morons as they hide from the clowns' fire._

Becky- Wow. How exciting, they're fighting clowns.

Lavender- To be fair, amiga, that is a little exciting.

_Becky sighs._

Becky- Yeah…

Lavender- They look like they're having a bit of trouble.

Becky- That does tend to happen on dangerous mercenary jobs.

Lavender- If only someone was there to help poison those clowns or something.

_Becky eyes Lavender._

Becky- Subtlety's not your strong suit, Lav.

Lavender- Never claimed it was. They need you, Beck.

Becky- I disagree. Café rules state that you only _need_ three for a crew.

Lavender- You know what I mean.

Becky- Haven't the faintest idea.

Lavender- They're not a complete team without you.

Becky- They should hold a recruitment fair. I'm sure other mercenaries would jump to be a part of the current leading crew.

Lavender- You know they don't want just anyone.

Becky- Just shut up, would you?!

_Becky falls silent, and Lavender gets slightly angry._

Lavender- Why are you BEING like this?!

Becky- Aw, I'm good at getting under people's skin, aren't I? Another reason why I don't belong on teams.

Lavender- I'm done with this stupid self-pity parade, Beck. Obviously you're sad you're not out there-

Becky- What gave you that impression?

Lavender- You sitting behind my bar drinking poison.

_Becky sighs._

Becky- You… you really think they need me?

Lavender- I know they do, Beck. Bartenders know things sometimes.

_There's a loud noise on the camera feed, and Becky turns to see Felix handing Lauren a makeshift taser grenade._

Lauren- EAT THIS, CLOWNS!

_Lauren lobs it, taking out many of the clowns._

Charlotte- Move out!  


_The Morons rush out from their current position, heading towards the carnival tent. It clearly wounds Becky, and she sits back farther in her chair._

Becky- Well…

Lavender- Becky, that's not-

Becky- Looks like they didn't need me after all.

Lavender- Becky…

Becky- No, no, let's keep watching. I could use some assurance that I _was_ actually totally superfluous to the team.

_Becky wrenches Lavender's shoulder to keep watching the cameras, a grim smile on her face. We cut to the Morons rushing towards the tent. Charlotte points up to the Devils, who are in the process of climbing to the stuffed rabbit on a horizontal ladder._

Alicia- Climb faster!

Ilana- I'm trying!

Noah- Ugh, there are _no_ business opportunities. The carnival industry is going down the drain.

Kira- Maybe that's because mercenaries keep stealing their prizes.

Alicia- No time for guilt! Time to-

_An electric pulse flies past Alicia, and she glares down to see Charlotte pointing up a gun at her._

Charlotte- Get down here and fight us, Alicia!  


Alicia- Fighting you isn't the job, Charcoal.

_Ilana is the first to get to the top of the tent, running for the rabbit._

Ilana- I got it!

Lauren- Axe throw!

_Ilana looks to see Lauren throwing her axe, and she steps aside to avoid it._

Lauren- Darn it!  


Felix- Lauren, this is why you d-don't announce that you're doing an axe throw before you throw it.

Lauren- Shut it, Vestor.

_Lauren runs for the tent, climbing up the poles that surround it and tackling Ilana just as she grabs the rabbit._

Ilana- Agh!

_She drops the rabbit, sending it flying in the air._

Lauren- What did you guys do to Poller?

Ilana- Oh, don't remind me. I had to be _very_ mean to the poor girl. Really messed up my conscience.

Lauren _\- What_ did you do?

_Alicia drops off the ladder, running for the rabbit._

Alicia- MINE!  


_Felix runs for the tent, his boots lighting up as he jumps super high to the top of the tent, firing a net at Alicia._

Felix- Take that!  


Alicia- Oh, you'll pay for that, Tech Boy!

Felix- I h-have a name!  


Alicia- Oh, I know that. It's…Filbert, right?

Felix- It's FELIX!

_Felix picks up the rabbit._

Felix- Come on, Lauren!

_He jumps off the roof, and Lauren pushes Ilana to the side and jumps after him. Alicia growls, her suit lighting up and sparking, melting away the net._

Alicia- Devils! Get down!  


_Noah and Kira land on the roof._

Noah- Ugh, so we climbed up here for _nothing_?

Kira- Other than some rousing exercise, you mean?

Noah- Never speak to me again.

_Felix and Lauren land on the ground next to Charlotte, Felix handing the rabbit over to Charlotte._

Charlotte- Call the MoronMobile.

_Felix presses a button on his arm, but at the MoronMobile speeds towards them, Kira leaps in front of it, hitting it to the side with her stick and causing it to crash into a carnival stand._

Felix and Lauren- My bike!

_Alicia, Noah, and Ilana also land, Alicia turning to give the Morons a death glare. Charlotte gulps._

Charlotte- Inside the tent.

_The Morons rush inside the tent, the Devils in hot pursuit. A clown leaps out with an actual chainsaw._

Clown- GIVE ME THAT RABBIT!

Felix- AH!

_Felix shoots the clown with a blast that sends him right through the wall of the tent._

Charlotte- Whatever you do, don't let them get this rabbit.

Alicia- Whatever you do, get that rabbit!

_Charlotte shoves the rabbit into Lauren's hands._

Charlotte- Here.

Lauren- Why do I have to take it?

Kira- AAAAH!

_Kira tackles Lauren to the ground._

Charlotte- That's why.

_Charlotte and Felix head off in opposite directions, and Lauren kicks Kira off of herself._

Kira- Don't fight me, you'll tear the rabbit.

Lauren- 'Don't fight' are foreign words to me.

Kira- At least be gentle!

_Lauren spins around, kicking Kira away._

Lauren- That's as gentle as you're getting, Adebayo.

_Alicia chucks her staff at the rabbit, knocking it out of Lauren's hand and sending it flying towards the center of the tent._

Alicia- Get it!

_Felix runs for it, but Noah tackles him._

Felix- Sh-shouldn't you be going after the rabbit?

Noah- You sure I can't convince you to give me distribution rights to your tech?

_He winks._

Noah- I'm a very good business partner.

_Felix flushes, extending his hand._

Felix- Wanna shake on it?

_Noah takes Felix's hand and is immediately frozen solid under a thin layer of ice._

Felix- Not interested, th-thanks.

_Felix reaches for the rabbit, an extended arm reaching from the back of his suit. Just as he grabs it, though, Alicia turns for him, spinning her staff._

Alicia- That rabbit is _mine_ , Tech Boy! Nobody gets one over on Alicia Monet!

Charlotte- Felix! Up here!  


_Felix rolls over to see Charlotte climbing up to the trapeze. He tosses the rabbit up to her and quickly scrambles away from Alicia, but Charlotte grins, moving her hand in front of her face to reveal Ilana._

Ilana- Thanks, hon!

_Ilana grabs the trapeze, swinging away._

Charlotte- It wasn't even a good IMPRESSION!  


_Ilana turns to see Charlotte swinging towards her, kicking her in the face and sending the rabbit flying up again._

Alicia- Out of my way, peons!

_Alicia rushes forward, pole vaulting off her staff and leaping towards the rabbit. In the other part of the tent, Lauren knocks Kira to the side and chucks her staff at Alicia, knocking her out of the air._

Alicia- AGH!

_The rabbit falls into Felix's hands, and all eyes turn to him._

Felix- Erm, I-I…

Charlotte- Get to the bike!  


_Felix turns around and rushes out of the tent, pursued by the Devils while Charlotte and Lauren try to hold them off._

Lauren- Ugh, this would be so much easier with Poller!

Alicia- Aw, do the Morons need their friend to hold their own?

_Charlotte swats Alicia with her sword, snarling._

Charlotte- We'll manage.

_Felix rushes for the crashed MoronMobile, pressing some buttons. The bike just sparks._

Felix- Ugh! It's br-broken!

_Lauren groans as she fights with Kira and Ilana._

Lauren- Well, FIX it!

Felix- My work is an art, Lauren! It t-takes time!

_Alicia breaks off from Charlotte and rushes for Felix._

Charlotte- Felix!  


Felix- Ah!

_Felix presses a button on the bike and it follows him at a slow pace while sparking as he rushes for the Ferris wheel._

Charlotte- Where are you going!?

Felix- I DON'T KNOW!

_Alicia aims her wrist, firing a net at Felix. He yelps and jumps up to the top of the Ferris wheel, the bike slowly creeping vertically up the wheel to reach Felix. Lauren and Charlotte groan._

Charlotte- _Why_ would you do that?

Felix- I'M PANICKING!

Lauren- Just stay still, Vestor!

_Charlotte, Lauren, and the Devils all head for the Ferris wheel, climbing up as Felix fiddles with the bike. Alicia is ahead of all of them._

Alicia- You shouldn't have made me so many fun gadgets, Tech Boy!

_Alicia's boots glow as well and she jumps extremely high, lunging at Felix._

Felix- Agh!

_Charlotte fires a wire up at Alicia, wrapping around her leg and dragging her back down._

Alicia- Ugh, let GO!

Charlotte- Get that bike fixed NOW!

Felix- Y-yes, ma'am.

_Lauren and Kira are trying to outpace each other as they climb up the wheel, kicking each other as they do so._

Kira- Ow! That hurt!

Lauren- It was meant to.

Kira- Ilana, you gonna help at all?

_She turns to Ilana, who is making herself a cotton candy._

Ilana- Eh, that wheel is _very_ tall. You're doing great, Kira!

Kira- Thanks, Il-

_Lauren stomps on her head from above, sending her down quite a bit._

Kira- Hey!

_Charlotte and Alicia both reach the top of the wheel, fighting as Felix frantically tries to fix the bike._

Alicia- This is MY job! You can't take it from me!  


Charlotte- Oh, we can't? Then why is that exactly what we're doing?

Alicia- UGH!

_Alicia kicks Charlotte back and fires a grappling hook at the rabbit at Felix's belt, pulling it back to her._

Felix- N-no!

Alicia- Ha! Point for Alicia Monet! So long, Mor-

_She turns around just in time to be smacked in the face by Lauren's axe, the rabbit flying into the air and being caught by Charlotte._

Charlotte- Nice. Felix, the bike?

Felix- Fixed it!  


_The Morons pile into the MoronMobile take off from the top of the Ferris wheel. As they leave, Alicia jumps on the windshield of the front cockpit, looking furious._

Alicia- No! You can't do this! You're going to rue the day you crossed-

_Felix presses a button and the windshield sparks with electricity, shocking Alicia and causing her to slide off of the bike. The MoronMobile heads off into the distance, and Alicia falls on the ground next to the Ferris wheel, her suit inflating to cushion her fall. Ilana, Kira, and an unfrozen Noah walk up next to her._

Noah- You good, boss?

Ilana- Don't worry, we'll do better next time.

_Alicia angrily scrambles to her feet, glaring at the Devils._

Alicia- There _is_ no next time.

_She grabs Noah._

Alicia- CALL US A CAR!

_We cut to Becky and Lavender watching the Morons ride off on the camera feed._

Lavender- Becky, I…

Becky- I guess you were wrong, Lav. Seems like they managed just fine without me.

Lavender- What are you trying to prove, Beck? Why are you looking for all these subtle signs that people don't like you when everything else suggests otherwise?

_Becky seems a bit surprised._

Becky- That's… that's not what I'm doing.

Lavender- That's _exactly_ what you're doing.

Becky- So what if I am! You can't trust what people act like on the surface. I know that better than most.

Lavender- So, what? You'll just keep finding ways to convince yourself that nobody ever wants to be close to you?

Becky- Maybe I will, okay?!

_Becky slumps back, defeated._

Lavender- How did we become friends, Beck?

Becky- We're _not_ friends.

_Lavender ignores her._

Lavender- You found the Bulletin and you didn't take any jobs. You just sat at my bar. I was curious.

Becky- Your mistake, not mine.

Lavender- And you were prickly, at first, yeah. But I was still curious. And I kept giving you chances. And you gave me chances, too.

Becky- If by that you mean that I tolerated your presence.

Lavender- So you don't think I should consider you a friend?

_Becky sighs._

Becky- I think that's an unwise choice for you.

Lavender- You remember when I made you a Belladonna Mix?

Becky- Ugh, I hated it.

Lavender- At first. But it was an acquired taste. And you learned to appreciate it.

_Lavender nods to the camera._

Lavender- And they learned to appreciate you.

_Becky looks to Lavender._

Becky- How do you know?

Lavender- Look at them, Beck.

_Becky looks closely at the Morons._

Becky- What am I looking for?

Lavender- They just completed a high-paying job.

Becky- Good for them.

Lavender- How happy do they look?

_Becky sighs as she sees that none of the Morons are smiling, and looks hopefully to Lavender. We cut to Charlotte, Lauren, and Felix entering the lower Bulletin, holding the rabbit._

Lauren- The payment from this job better cover the scuffed paint on my bike.

Charlotte- I'm sure it'll be-

Lavender- Um, guys?

_The Morons turn to see Lavender leading Becky towards them._

Lavender- I think there's someone who'd like to talk to you.

Felix- B-Becky…?

Becky- Um… hi.

Charlotte, Lauren, Felix- Hi…

Alicia- MORONS!  


_Alicia and the Devils stride into the Bulletin, Alicia looking furious._

Lavender- Alicia, they're having a _moment_. Do you mind?

_Alicia walks up to Charlotte, her staff sparking._

Charlotte- Ugh, what is it? Still salty that we-

_Alicia hits Charlotte hard with her staff, sending her flying across the café. Everyone gasps._

Eric- Violence in the café?!

Terrence- That is very not allowed.

_Worthing caws nervously. The door to the upstairs opens behind Alicia and she turns to face the Shopmaster, who has a stern expression on his face._

Shopmaster- Ms. Monet…

Alicia- Mr. Shopmaster.

Shopmaster- You do realize that you have just broken Bulletin protocol?

Alicia- Oh, I'm well aware.

Kira- Um, Alicia…?

Noah- What are you doing…?

Alicia- I'm tired of having to work under your system, Shopmaster. I think it's time for a change in leadership around here.

Shopmaster- I think we're done entertaining your fantasies, Ms. Monet. Mercenaries, prepare to apprehend-

Alicia- I'm ALICIA MONET, people! I'll lead this café into a golden age headed by me and my Devils! And you're either with me or you're against me!

Felix- Y-you don't stand a chance against all of us.

_Alicia examines Felix._

Alicia- You made me so many weapons, Tech Boy. And you didn't even know what they were for…

Charlotte- What are you talking about!?

_Alicia clicks her fingers, and the walls of the café light up, various turrets folding out of the walls and pointing around at the other mercenaries._

Felix- Wh-what?

Shopmaster- How _dare_ you alter my café without my knowledge!? Seize her!  


Alicia- Join me or suffer the consequences!

Lauren- Enough!  


_Lauren charges Alicia and chaos breaks out in the café. Alicia and her Devils fight with the other mercenaries as the turrets fire electric pulses on the crowd._

Eric- Wait, wait, I'll join you!

Nalini- What?

Alicia- Get the Morons!

_Esteban jumps on Charlotte's face, and she struggles with him before tossing him off. Becky grabs her arm._

Becky- Charlotte, come on!  


Charlotte- What? No, we need to-

Becky- Just get out of here!  


_Becky drags Charlotte out, avoiding turret fire. Some others manage to escape as well, but Lauren finds herself repeatedly shot by the turrets, getting knocked out._

Felix- L-Lauren!

_Lavender and Lily rush over._

Lavender- Help me with her, Lily.

Lily- L-Lavender, what's happening?!

_The Shopmaster yells over to them from a newly opened secret staircase downwards._

Shopmaster- Down here!

_Lily, Lavender, and Felix drag Lauren over, and we cut to the outside of the Bulletin as time moves rapidly, indicating by the moving stars. In the middle of the night, we cut back inside to the Bulletin, where Alicia is walking through the bar, joined by Kira, Ilana, N_ _oah, Sister Beth, Sister Superior, Eric, Remy, Esteban, Anderson, and Brandi. She sets herself up a chair and looks at the terrified club singer, smirking._

Alicia- Sing your queen a song, won't you?

_End episode._


	67. The Bulletin S1E9

**Episode Nine: The Battle for the Bulletin Café**

Synopsis: The Morons and their allies fight to reclaim the café from Alicia's posse.

_We open on the streets of Ashmount, the same night of Alicia's takeover. Becky and Charlotte rush across the screen, Becky partially dragging Charlotte._

Charlotte- Where are we _going_?!

Becky- I don't know!

Charlotte- Let _go_ of me!  


_Becky does so, but both girls' attention is drawn as Nalini calls to them._

Nalini- Guys! Over here!

_Becky and Charlotte rush over as Nalini beckons them inside an empty store where Elephant and Worthing are also hiding._

Charlotte- Truce?

Nalini- Truce. Did you see anyone else get out?

Becky- Just us.

Nalini- Eric and Remy joined Alicia without a second thought…

Becky- And you didn't?

Nalini- That girl's a little too full of herself for my taste.

Becky- You work with Eric, Nalini.

Nalini- Yeah, but Alicia has the skills to back up her arrogance.

_Worthing caws in agreement. Becky's eyes flicker to the side and she sees Charlotte glaring at her. Nalini notices as well._

Nalini- I'll… leave you to it.

_She walks away, and Becky turns to Charlotte._

Becky- What?

Charlotte- You made me abandon Lauren and Felix.

_Becky seems confused._

Becky- I saved you.

_Charlotte scoffs._

Charlotte- Of course you wouldn't get it.

_She turns around and Becky grabs her wrist._

Becky- What's _that_ supposed to mean?

Charlotte- I actually _care_ about my teammates. I don't just leave the team without notice.

Becky- I saved you, didn't I?

Charlotte- And why was that?

Becky- B-because…

_Charlotte arches her brow._

Charlotte- Well?

Becky- Because I care about my crew!

_Charlotte is taken aback._

Becky- Or whatever.

_Becky eyes Charlotte._

Charlotte- Becky…

Becky- Ugh, is it too late to take it back?

Charlotte- I care about the crew too. That includes you.

Becky- I…um…

Charlotte- And it also includes our friends stuck back at the café…

_Charlotte turns to Nalini, Elephant, and Worthing._

Charlotte- Which is why we need to help them out!

_Becky smirks._

Becky- You're the boss.

_We cut to Lauren and Felix huddled in a bunker deep below the Bulletin, alongside Lavender, Lily, Sister Luna, Terrence, the Shopmaster, and the Headhunter. There's a bash against the door, and some of those inside cower._

Felix- AH!

Lauren- Calm down, Vestor.

Felix- That's easier s-s-said than done, Lauren.

Luna- I can't believe my sisters betrayed me…

Lavender- Or you betrayed them.

Shopmaster- Lavender! Don't worry, Sister Luna, you chose the right side.

_Sister Luna sniffles._

Luna- Doesn't really feel like it.

_There's another bash on the door, and Lauren yells to the outside._

Lauren- Keep it down out there!

_Kira's muffled voice sounds out through the door._

Kira- Sorry! Trying to bash this door down and capture you is pretty loud!

Felix- Ugh…

_The Headhunter huddles close to the Shopmaster._

Headhunter- Eli… do you have a plan?

Shopmaster- Ms. Monet commandeered my café… secretly placed her own technology in my own walls. I never should have given her so much freedom.

Headhunter- I'll take that as a no.

Lily- Um… guys?

_Everyone looks towards Lily, who's lain out some trading cards on a table._

Lily- Looking at the stats of Alicia's team, they seem pretty hard to beat. But we have some great hitters on our team, too, and some people might have gotten out of the café.

_She lines up the cards into two groups._

Lily- More evenly matched than you think.

_Lavender smiles and ruffles Lily's hair._

Lavender- Thanks, Lily.

Lauren- Psh. I'll take them out singlehandedly.

Lily- But you only have eight attack.

Lauren- WHAT?!

_Lauren grabs the card._

Lauren- Clearly a misprint.

_There's another bash on the door and Lavender stands up._

Lavender- Enough! Elijah, the armory!

_The Shopmaster presses a button on his remote and the back wall flips around to reveal a whole host of various weapons and gadgets._

Shopmaster- You sure it'll be enough?

_Lavender looks at him over her shoulder._

Lavender- La Diabla Blanca never loses. Get my old suit.

_We cut to the outside of the Bulletin café. Anderson is stationed on the roof while Brandi runs around the perimeter over and over again. A shadow stirs by a nearby building and Anderson hits a tennis ball towards it instinctively, but it just bounces off the wall._

Brandi- What was that, Anderson?

_Anderson narrows his eyes._

Anderson- Nothing. Thought I saw something.

_We see Becky and Charlotte ducking behind the same corner, Nalini, Elephant, and Worthing backing them up._

Becky- That was close.

_Worthing squawks in agreement._

Charlotte- You guys know the plan?

Nalini- No, but I recorded it on my crystal ball.

Charlotte- We really don't have the time for this. Our friends are trapped in there.

Nalini- Your friends. I'm doing this out of altruism.

Becky- And the other two?

Nalini- I think they just feel betrayed by the squirrel.

_Elephant trumpets in agreement, and Charlotte glares at her._

Charlotte- Elephant! Now they know where we are!  


_Elephant backs off sheepishly._

Charlotte- Ugh, go, go, go!

_Brandi nears the alley._

Brandi- Hey, what's going on over here?

Charlotte- Come on, Becky.

_Charlotte and Becky head off into a side alleyway, and Nalini jumps on Elephant._

Nalini- Run!

_Elephant runs off, knocking Brandi out of the way. She growls and touches her earpiece._

Brandi- Intruders outside the café!

_She runs after Elephant, and we see Anderson on the roof, scanning the area._

Anderson- I don't see any others…

_A dart flies into his neck and he drops to the ground. Becky and Charlotte emerge from an alley, running up to the side of the café and climbing up to the roof quickly._

Becky- Shush!

_Sister Superior and Sister Beth rush out of the café, brandishing their weapons._

Beth- Where are they!?

Superior- Put the café in lockdown!

_Charlotte whispers to Becky._

Charlotte- Come on! We have to get in quickly!

_Charlotte and Becky quickly open the door to the staircase only to hear a threatening squeak from behind them._

Becky- Charlotte, _don't move_ , but I think I heard a squeak from behind us…

Charlotte- I'm… going to look.

Becky- _Don’t_ look.

Charlotte- I'm looking.

_Charlotte turns around, and Esteban leaps at her face, raising his knife before Becky hits him off._

Becky- I told you not to look!

Charlotte- That just made me want to look more!

Becky- Run!

_The two girls scramble down the stairs, Esteban running close behind them. They reach the bottom of the stairs and slam the door behind them._

Charlotte- He may be a mercenary, but he's still a squirrel. It'll take him a while to get that door.

Alicia- What was that?

_Becky and Charlotte quickly duck under the club singer's stage, peeking out as Alicia walks over and opens the door._

Alicia- Squirrel? Are the intruders dealt with?

_There's squeaking._

Alicia- Ugh, _useless_. Everyone, scour the café! There's intruders in our midst!

_There's a lot of footsteps, and Charlotte and Becky glance at each other._

Becky- How do we know where the others are hiding?

Charlotte- Hold on… listen…

_Becky falls silent and listens to the club singer._

Singer- **They're hiding below, below, in a secret room. Below, below, in a secret room.**

Becky- Smart girl…

Charlotte- But how do we get to the secret room?

Singer- **Press the third tile from the left on the back wall…**

Eric- I really don't understand this song at all.

Remy- I think it's a metaphor…

Charlotte- Come on, Becky.

Becky- But if we step out, we'll be apprehended in a second!

Charlotte- I have an idea that I kind of hate.

Becky- If you hate it, it must be pretty decent.

_Charlotte rolls her eyes and Becky chuckles good-naturedly. We cut to Becky and Charlotte emerging from backstage, dressed in veils and skimpy dresses and singing along with the club singer._

Eric- When did we hire backup singers?

Charlotte- **Last Thursday.**

_The club singer gives the two girls a knowing glance, taking their hands and leading them offstage._

Alicia- Ooh, an _interactive_ performance. How riveting.

_The girls walk over to the back wall, harmonizing while the club singer gets back onstage and belts out a high note, drawing all attention to herself._

Charlotte- Now!

_Becky presses the tile and the secret staircase opens up, and the girls rush down. The singer finishes her high note and gives a smile. We cut to those in the bunker, now all equipped with new weapons and Lavender in her mercenary suit._

Lavender- Ready to fight back?

Everyone- Yeah!  


Lily- YEAH!

_Lavender gives the Shopmaster a dirty look._

Lavender- You gave her a weapon?

Lily- I'm gonna beat them up! Get ready for a Lily Lopez trading card coming out soon!

_Lavender sighs, but is interrupted by a frantic banging on the door._

Charlotte- Guys, it's Charlotte! I'm out here! We escaped and we came back for you guys!  


Lauren- Char?

_Lauren and Felix rush over to the entrance, looking through a peephole._

Felix- Wh-where are the Devils?

Charlotte- Dealt with, but there's more on our tail! Let us in!

_Felix scrambles to open the door._

Lauren- Vestor, wait-

_Felix opens the door and Charlotte rushes in, kicking Lauren and Felix back and opening the door wide. She winks, waving her hand over her face to reveal Ilana._

Ilana- I thought you'd be more careful by now. Disguises are like my _thing_.

_Kira and Noah walk in behind her threateningly._

Kira- What was the thing we were supposed to say again?

Noah- Join Alicia or be banished from this café forever!

Kira- Oh, yeah, right. You sound very threatening when you say it.

Noah- Thank you.

Becky- BACK OFF!

_Becky and Charlotte rush the Devils from behind, shooting and slashing at them until they eventually retreat, and slamming the door._

Becky and Charlotte- Gah!

Lauren- Char?

Felix- Or is it an imposter!?

Charlotte- No, I'm Charlotte. Don't make me beat you.

Lauren- Yep, that's Char.

Becky- And Becky's also here.

_Lauren and Felix glance at Becky._

Lauren- We noticed.

Charlotte- Hey, me and Becky are cool now.

_Lauren and Felix stare at Becky for a tense moment._

Felix- W-welcome back to the crew.

Becky- Never left. Just had a brief crisis of faith.

Lavender- Don't worry, _I_ helped her through it.

Becky- Yes, you're great too, Lav.

Luna- And what about me?

Becky- I'm not complimenting everyone today, Sister Luna.

Luna- Aw.

_Charlotte looks around the room._

Charlotte- Looks like you guys are already prepared for a fight.

Lauren- We got started without you.

_Becky checks her phone._

Becky- Well, our distraction is going to be here any second, so get ready to move out.

_Lavender hefts her guitar off her shoulder._

Lavender- Lead the way, Beck and friends.

_Becky looks to the others and smiles._

Becky- That’s Becky and the Morons to you.

Charlotte- Incoming!

_We cut to Nalini riding Elephant with Worthing flying overhead as Brandi chases them._

Brandi- Get back here!

_Nalini looks into her crystal ball._

Nalini- I see defeat in your future, loser!

Brandi- Ugh, get better comebacks!

_Elephant turns the corner and Brandi's eyes widen as she realizes that they're heading right for the Bulletin café, Sister Beth and Sister Superior guarding the front._

Brandi- Out of the way!

_Beth gets out of the way._

Beth- Sister Superior!

Superior- Not to worry, Sister Beth! Heaven will protect me from-

_Elephant tosses Sister Superior into a wall and crashes into the front wall of the Bulletin, much to the surprise of everyone inside. We cut back to the downstairs room, where the Devils are getting up, rubbing their heads._

Ilana- Ugh… rude.

Kira- Come on, let's go tell Alicia!

_The crash from Elephant sounds out upstairs and they all flinch._

Noah- What was that?

_The door at the end of the hallway flies open and the gang that was in there comes charging out, yelling._

Kira- Run!

_Noah takes out a fistful of cards and tosses them to the approaching gang._

Noah- Take my business card!

Ilana- Noah!

Noah- My business is my legacy, Lana!

_Upstairs in the café, Nalini leaps off Elephant as Alicia spins her staff, a furious expression on her face._

Alicia- Defend my kingdom, loyal subjects!

Remy- Can we give the whole royalty thing a rest, Alicia? You've been 'Queen' for like a couple hours.

Alicia- Shut up!

_The Devils run out from underneath._

Kira- Alicia! They're coming!

Ilana- AH! An elephant!

_Elephant poses dramatically, swooning with her trunk._

Alicia- _Who's_ coming?!

_Alicia gets smacked in the head by a thrown guitar._

Lavender- Us!

Alicia- OW!

_Lavender catches her guitar and growls._

Lavender- I got Alicia. Take back this café!

_Alicia growls, pressing a button and activating the various turrets on the wall, forcing her opponents to scatter and overturn tables._

Shopmaster- Mr. Vestor, come with me and the Headhunter! We must shut down these turrets!

Felix- Y-yes, sir!

_In the chaos, the door upstairs is pulled open, and Esteban leaps out only to be grabbed by Worthing and tossed to the wall. Esteban snarls and squeaks as he is subtitled._

Esteban- Join us. We can betray Monet and throw her in the lake. Let the sharks nibble on her.

Worthing- How could you betray us, Esteban!? We sailed for months from that zoo in Russia and this is how you repay us?

Elephant- Stop fighting, you guys! We all had dreams when we came here! I wanted to be an actress! If we don't stick together, we'll never get the money we need to move to Hollywood!

_Esteban hesitates._

Esteban- I…I…

Worthing- We'll have to knock some sense into you… I'm sorry…

_Worthing and Elephant move in on Esteban and we cut to Brandi running into the hole in the café wall._

Brandi- I'm here, guys! No worries, they won't get away from me this-

_She quickly speeds to the side as Terrence charges her in full football gear._

Brandi- Terrence?! You're working with them? I just assumed you had run away.

Terrence- Running away is your thing, Brandi. I'm no coward.

Brandi- Do you _want_ to lose your job at our parents' country club?

Terrence- If it means fighting for the honor of this café, then of course.

_Brandi narrows her eyes._

Brandi- You think you'll be on our crew after this?

Terrence- You'll be on mine.

_They begin to fight, and we cut to Nalini blocking Eric's cards with her crystal ball._

Nalini- Ugh, why did I sign up for magic club again?

Eric- The charming leader?

_Nalini shakes her crystal ball and the words 'Not Likely' appear. Remy pops out a box near her and kicks her away, joining Eric as they approach her._

Remy- You always did have the useless magic, Nalini.

Nalini- Oh, really? Because my crystal ball can do something you guys don't even know about!

_Eric and Remy glance at each other._

Eric- And that is?

_Nalini shakes the ball and it emits a bright light that temporarily blinds the two boys as she scrambles away._

Nalini- Um, can someone else handle them!? I'm just a seer!

_Becky, Charlotte, and Lauren are ducking behind a table to avoid the turret fire when Kira picks it up and throws it to the side, revealing the Devils waiting in front of them._

Ilana- Becky… I see you're back with the crew.

Becky- No thanks to you.

Ilana- I was under orders, hon. Nothing personal.

Charlotte- This was the girl that made you leave?

Becky- Well, she's the one that's here. You can go beat up my mom later too if you want.

Ilana- Oh, you mean _this_ lady?

_Ilana waves her parasol over herself, assuming the appearance of Lyra. Becky winces, and Lauren growls._

Lauren- Okay, you're dead. Nobody messes with our crewmate.

_Lauren tackles Ilana, and Becky beams before she's forced to dodge a shot from Noah, taking her own rifle off her back and ducking behind a chair to fire at him. Charlotte ducks under Kira's strikes, preparing to strike before turrets fire on her and she rolls to the side._

Charlotte- Ugh! Get the turrets offline!  


Felix- I'm w-working on it!

_Kira swings again, knocking Charlotte into a chair._

Charlotte- You really care this much about helping Alicia?

Kira- It gets me some much-needed social interaction that my dad says I've been really starving for lately.

_She raises her stick, but Charlotte slides under her legs, grabbing her and pulling her in front of herself to use as a human shield against the turrets, knocking her out cold. Lauren viciously duels Ilana, axe against parasol._

Ilana- You really care that much about Becky? She's a poison, hon.

Lauren- I'm not a corrosive metal, idiot.

Ilana- Surprisingly apt analogy.

_Lauren whacks her upside the head, sending sparks flying and Ilana thudding into the back wall._

Lauren- I come through when I need to.

_Becky peeks out from behind her chair to fire at Noah, but as she peeks in and out, she takes a shot in the shoulder, grunting and falling to the ground._

Noah- Mind if I raid your house and patent your poisons?

Becky- Yes.

Noah- Whatever.

_He advances towards her but a bolt of electricity strikes him the stomach, sending him reeling to the floor. He quickly looks, up, firing his gun, but only sparks fly out. His attacker looks him in the face._

Felix- That's what you get for using a knockoff.

_Felix fires on Noah, a massive bolt of electricity that leaves him totally unconscious and his hair slightly singed. He goes to help Becky up._

Becky- Is he okay?

Felix- Do you c-care?

Becky- No, not really. The turrets?

Felix- Shopmaster?

Shopmaster- And… now!

_The Shopmaster and Headhunter press some buttons and the turrets all deactivate. Charlotte and Lauren join Felix and Becky._

Charlotte- Nice, Felix.

Felix- I always deliver, d-don't I?

Lauren- Come on. There's still beating to be done.

Charlotte- Let me guess…

Lauren- I want to find Monet.

_We cut to backstage from the singer's stage, where Lavender and Alicia are having a brawl, Lavender smashing her guitar against Alicia's staff._

Alicia- Oh, back off, bartender girl.

_Lavender narrows her eyes, strumming on her guitar and sending out an electric wave that knocks Alicia back._

Lavender- You know my name, Alicia!

_Alicia haughtily raises an eyebrow._

Alicia- Maybe I did at some point, but I'm _far_ too important for that now.

_Alicia points the tip of her staff at Lavender, sending a rapid-fire series of electric pulses at her. Lavender rolls to the side, playing another chord that sends a pulse flying at Alicia. Smirking, Alicia smacks it right back at Lavender with her staff, sending her sprawling on her back._

Lavender- Ugh…

Alicia- Oh, poor little washed-up mercenary. You can dress up in stupid clothes, but you're just a bartender now.

_She raises her staff._

Lily- AAAAAAH!

_Lily jumps on Alicia, yanking on her hair and slashing at her with a small electric blade._

Lavender- Lily!

Lily- BACK OFF MY SISTER!

Alicia- Ugh, get off me, you tiny freak!

_Alicia yanks Lily off by the hair, holding her in front of herself as Lavender gets up, holding her guitar. Alicia wags her finger._

Alicia- Drop the guitar if you care about your little friend here.

Lavender- She's my _sister_.

Alicia- Whatever.

_Lily looks to Lavender._

Lily- Lavender… I'm scared…

_Lavender's eyes widen and she drops the guitar. Alicia grins, tossing Lily forwards onto the ground and smacking Lavender with her staff. She chuckles, turning around to leave when a dart smacks her in the neck. She sighs, plucking it out and looking back to see all four Morons._

Alicia- When will you learn those stupid darts don't work on me?

Becky- Oh, that was just to get your attention.

_They prepare to fight, and we cut back to the battles in the rest of the café._

Luna- Sisters! How could you leave me!

Superior- I'm sorry, Sister Luna. I was guided to this path by-

Beth- Guided? You said this way we'd make more money?

Superior- Shut up, Beth.

_Luna throws some wafers, pinning both of them to the floor._

Luna- You two have lost your way!

_Elephant knocks Esteban into a wall, and he collapses._

Elephant- Rethink your actions, Esteban! Come back to us!  


_The squirrel contemplates his own morality._

Esteban- I got too focused on how I used the knife… I forgot why I picked it up in the first place.

_He looks up to the others._

Esteban- For my friends…

Worthing- We forgive you, Esteban.

_Nalini yelps as she dodges another card from Eric._

Nalini- Eep!

Eric- Face us like a real magician, Nalini!

Nalini- What should I do?

_She shakes her crystal ball and it says 'Ask Again Later.' She growls._

Nalini- Ugh, I'll put this thing to some actual use!

_She rushes out, smacking Eric over the head with her crystal ball and knocking him out cold. She glares at Remy, and he gulps, jumping into a box and disappearing. We cut to Alicia facing down the Morons._

Lauren- Give up, Monet. Our allies are beating yours out there.

Alicia- A good Queen can survive a bad court.

Charlotte- You're insufferable.

Alicia- You have several ugly bruises.

Charlotte- No, I don't.

Alicia- You will.

_Alicia tackles Charlotte, her staff clashing against her sword._

Felix- Charlotte!

_Felix aims his gun at Alicia, but she blocks his shot, tossing her hair and glaring his way._

Alicia- Not going to surprise me this time, Tech Boy.

Felix- I'm not afraid of y-you…

Alicia- Then why can't you speak straight?

Felix- It's a CONDITION!

_His gun unfolds and opens fire on Alicia with a veritable barrage. She spins her staff, sending the shots everywhere and forcing the other Morons to take cover._

Lauren- Vestor, chill!

_Felix stops firing, breathing heavily._

Felix- Sorry, I got a little c-carried-

_Alicia kicks him in the shin and shoves her staff into his stomach, shocking him until he falls to the ground._

Becky- Felix!

_Becky, Charlotte, and Lauren all rush at Alicia, surrounding her. She spins her staff and defends herself from all of them before a bit before Lauren slams her axe down hard, knocking Alicia off guard. She snarls._

Alicia- You think that just because you got some fancy toys and completed a couple jobs, you're better than ME?! NOT A CHANCE!

_Alicia slams the tip of her staff into the ground, creating a shockwave that knocks the Morons back. Becky hits a wall and is out of commission._

Charlotte- Becky! Are you okay?

Lauren- Focus, Char! We can take her!

_Charlotte and Lauren are in perfect sync with each other, and Alicia is in perfect sync with herself as she fends them off._

Charlotte- Get out of our café!

_Alicia scoffs._

Alicia- _Your_ café? Oh, PLEASE! This has been my HOME for YEARS! And you think you can just take it?

_She snarls, knocking Charlotte and Lauren back._

Alicia- Well, sorry to crush your dreams, but enough is enough!

_Lauren rushes at her, but she leans to the side, dodging her strikes and elbowing her in the face, flipping back to kick her in the head and knock her out. When Charlotte rushes towards her, we get a slow motion shot of Alicia using Grusselbaan on Charlotte, paralyzing her._

Alicia- Grusselbaan, hon.

_A pulse flies past Alicia, and she looks to see Becky weakly standing up._

Becky- Back off my crew.

_Alicia laughs._

Alicia- Sticking up for them? How heroic.

Becky- I'm no hero. I'm just loyal.

_Becky fires a dart at Alicia, which has no effect._

Alicia- Ugh, stop! Your stupid poisons don't work on me!

_She presses a button on her staff, and a syringe pops out._

Alicia- I've made poisons you've never even heard of! Poisons you're _definitely_ not immune to.

_She advances on Becky, who clumsily lunges at her with a syringe only to be skewered on Alicia's own syringe._

Becky- No…

_Becky slowly collapses to the ground, and Alicia turns to the other Morons, Charlotte with a strained expression._

Charlotte- No!

_Alicia tuts, tossing her hair._

Alicia- You guys are a _hassle_ , I'll give you that. Now I just have to win the battle and save the day! Just another day in the life of-

_As Alicia speaks, Becky slowly rises up behind her, grabbing Alicia from behind and stabbing three syringes into her neck, hissing into her ear._

Becky- There's something you ought to know about me, Alicia. There isn't a poison in this world I'm not immune to… but I suspect the same's not true for you. I've brewed poisons from undiscovered elements and materials you've heard of in legends. I'm Becky Poller, and I _am_ poison. To you, at least.

_Alicia lets out a small gasp._

Alicia- N-no… I-I can't… I'm the _Queen_ …

Becky- Go to sleep, Queenie.

_Alicia slumps to the ground, unconscious._

Charlotte- Whoa…

_Becky looks down at Charlotte, a gleam in her eye._

Becky- I'll handle this.

_We cut to the battle winding down in the rest of the café when Becky's heels clack against the stage, and everyone turns to see her dragging Alicia out by the hair, tossing her to the ground and daring anyone to challenge her with her gaze._

Becky- This is _over_ …

_The Devils are already heading out the door._

Ilana- Ouch… that looks like it hurts.

Noah- Well, this business venture is no longer profitable.

Kira- It was fun hanging out with you guys!

_They exit._

Nalini- Becky… beat Alicia?

Becky- She had some help. A couple of Morons.

_Alicia's eyes flutter open, and she begins weakly crawling towards the stage._

Alicia- Wait… you can't-

_Hard cut to Alicia being tossed out of the Bulletin in a trash bag._

Shopmaster- We most certainly can! _Never_ return to my café, Ms. Monet! And if you even think about betraying Bulletin secrets, I'll put every mercenary I have on you.

_He slams the door, and we cut to downstairs, where everyone's recuperating. Becky is talking to Lavender and Lily at the bar._

Lavender- I heard you were pretty scary.

Becky- I'm always scary, Lav.

_Becky pauses, then smiles._

Becky- When I want to be.

Lily- Free drink!

_Lily reaches up to hand Becky a drink, and she sips on it._

Becky- It's great, Lily.

Lily- Thanks!

_Lily walks away._

Becky- This is acetic acid. I asked for oxalic.

Lavender- I'll teach her the difference eventually. Thanks for being nice.

Becky- It's a good look on me, I know.

Lavender- Speaking of that…

_Charlotte, Felix, and Lauren arrive at the bar, icing themselves off._

Lauren- Hey, Poller!

Becky- Hey. You guys feeling less sore?

Felix- H-Hearing about you taking Alicia down makes the pain more bearable.

_Becky gets a bit embarrassed._

Becky- Um, yeah. Thanks, Felix.

_Charlotte bumps her shoulder against Becky's._

Charlotte- Glad we had a complete crew for that fight. Otherwise we would have been done for.

Becky- Please, just keep heaping praise on me.

Lauren- Is that a challenge?

_The Morons all laugh, then turn to look around the downstairs Bulletin._

Lavender- Things are going to shake up around here, I think.

_The Gun Nuns pass the Morons._

Lavender- You ladies make up?

Superior- We were foolish for betraying our sister. We must take a pilgrimage of self-discovery.

Luna- I'm honestly fine, but I like bonding.

_The Gun Nuns head out, the Zoo Fiends right behind them._

Lauren- Them, too?

_Elephant hands Lauren a map with a big circle on it labelled 'Hollywood!!!' Lauren snickers and shows the paper to the others before handing it off._

Lauren- Well, good luck.

_The Zoo Fiends head out._

Charlotte- Mercenaries are dropping like flies. If we're not careful, we won't have any competition around here.

Nalini- You're telling me.

Lavender- Oh, amiga. They abandon you?

Nalini- They said they had to 'focus on magic.'

Felix- L-losers.

Terrence- Brandi and Anderson left too. Couldn't even muster up an excuse.

Lily- I will burn their trading cards in the fieriest furnace!

_Everyone bursts out laughing at that, and Nalini and Terrence look at each other._

Nalini- Well, if you don't have a crew, Terrence…

Terrence- I mean, I'd love to. But we need a third.

_A knife slams into the bar by his hand as the club singer walks over._

Singer- Count me in. Today reminded me how _exciting_ mercenary work can be.

_She extends her hand._

Stella- Call me Stella.

Nalini- All right!

Lavender- Hey, Elijah, can I give them the celebration treatment?

Shopmaster- Go ahead, Lavender.

Lavender- Drinks for everyone on the house!  


_Everyone cheers, and the Headhunter approaches the bar, counting on his fingers._

Headhunter- Egad! We lost so many mercenaries today!  


Charlotte- They deserved the boot.

Headhunter- Still, how are we going to keep being a successful business if-

Shopmaster- Oh, relax, Headhunter. Looking around, I think that we're about to enter a great new age of café business…

_He looks at the Morons, who are talking with each other and smiling._

Shopmaster- And Becky and the Morons will be at the forefront of it all…

_We pan away from the café until we can't hear what everyone is saying, but it's clear that they're all satisfied._

_End episode._


	68. Rule the School S3E10

**Episode Ten: The First Day**

Synopsis: Charlie has a perfectly normal school day.

_We open on Virginia and Anna-May cooking eggs in their kitchen. They hear footsteps from the stairs and turn around, smiling._

Virginia- Char-Char! How are you feeling?

_There's a pause._

Anna-May- Charlie?

_Charlie comes walking down the stairs, wearing a pair of sunglasses and turning his head quickly to look around the house._

Charlie- Yes! I'm here!

_He quickly fixes his gaze on Virginia and Anna-May._

Charlie- What's for breakfast…mothers?

Virginia- So glad you asked! We made you Lion Eggs!

_She holds forward a plate where they've cut some scrambled eggs into the shape of a lion's head. Charlie chuckles._

Charlie- That's cute!

Anna-May- We know they're your favorite!

Charlie- Yes. Of course they are.

_Charlie sits down and begins to eat the eggs. He pulls out his phone to look at it and almost chokes._

Charlie- It's almost _winter_!?

_Virginia and Anna-May exchange a glance._

Virginia- We know, son. That's when the cops will think our guard's down for the holidays.

_Anna-May hefts her rifle._

Anna-May- Little do they know that we're completely prepared for them…

_Charlie laughs._

Charlie- Oh, you two are funny!

Virginia- I see you're wearing your sunglasses of determination.

Charlie- Oh?

Virginia- Big day at school today?

_Charlie stands up as he finishes his plate, throwing on his trademark jacket. He flashes a grin._

Charlie- You could say that.

_We cut to Becky walking through the Ashmount shopping center, pushing a cart full of various colored vials. She gets a few strange looks as she walks._

Passerby- Hey, aren't you that intern?

_Becky shoots him with a dart over her shoulder. Then she heads into her old thrift shop, where she sees Christopher behind the desk._

Becky- Hey, Chris. How's business?

Christopher- Ugh, awful. Peacetime means there's less demand for our goods.

Becky- Well, I brought fresh stock. Where's the new employee?

Christopher- Sharpening a sword, I think. Hey, Brit Boy!

_A disgruntled Sterling walks out of a side room._

Sterling- What do you want, Christopher?

Christopher- That's _boss_ to you.

_Sterling sees Becky and sneers._

Sterling- Well, if it isn't James and Will's little lapdog.

Becky- Shut up, Price. We're employing you out of the goodness of our hearts.

Sterling- And because you're too busy _interning_.

Becky- I have a lab now. And I might get paid in the near future.

Christopher- A lab?

Becky- Well, technically it's the cooking club, but really it's just me force-feeding prisoners poison for an hour straight.

Sterling- Doesn't make you any less of a lackey. Whether you're working for me or them, you just don't change, Poller.

Christopher- Just restock the shelves or I'll burn you like an overcooked crumpet.

Sterling- Do you even know what a crumpet-

Christopher and Becky- Shut up!

_Sterling grumbles and walks off, and Becky goes to sit on the desk by Christopher._

Becky- So, you gave up entirely on that whole zen thing?

Christopher- Not _entirely_.

_Becky arches an eyebrow._

Christopher- Those therapeutic candles actually work great for burning evidence.

Becky- Evidence of what?

Christopher- Exactly.

_Becky cracks a grin._

Becky- Never change, Chris.

Christopher- So you're seriously on the straight and narrow now? Never pegged you as wanting to be part of an institution unless you're at the top.

Becky- Well, I've got a nice gig going right now. If I keep it up, I can climb this corporate ladder. I mean, heck, James already told me in private that I scare him less than Lauren.

Christopher- So you've got _nothing_ up your sleeve?

Becky- You mean besides a hidden cache of assorted poison?

_She pauses._

Becky- Not yet…

_She gets off the desk._

Becky- See you around, Chris.

Christopher- I'll beat the daylights out of Price if he messes up.

Becky- Heck, do it anyway.

_Becky exits the shop and is immediately pulled aside by Charlie, still wearing his sunglasses._

Becky- Gah!  


Charlie- Lovely to see you too.

Becky- Notch?

Charlie- In the flesh!

Becky- You do realize it's almost winter, don't you? Are the sunglasses really necessary?

Charlie- Well, apparently they're sunglasses of determination.

Becky- That sounds even more stupid.

Charlie- Enough pleasantries, Beck.

_Becky curls her lip in disgust._

Becky- What do you want?

Charlie- I just needed your help with a little matter regarding recent events…

Becky- Uh-huh?

Charlie- Well… what exactly _were_ recent events?

Becky- Excuse me?

Charlie- I just… seem to be having some lapses in memory.

_There's a pause._

Becky- That sounds like a you problem.

_She starts to walk off, but Charlie calls after her._

Charlie- I can make it worth your while, Poller.

_Becky pauses._

Becky- My ears are like, half open.

Charlie- I mean, I need to be caught up on everything if we're going to enact our plan.

Becky- Our plan?

Charlie- The one that we'll make right after this… the one that will put you exactly where you want to be.

Becky- I've been burned before, Notch.

Charlie- This happens with or without you, Becky. Hop on while you still can.

_Becky pauses, then turns around._

Becky- Anything else you need?

Charlie- Actually, yes. Is there a place around here that sells contacts?

_We cut to Charlotte and Lauren sitting on a couch together inside Woodsworth, surrounded by various manga._

Lauren- Have you read enough manga to stop being sad?

Charlotte- Wh-what? _Sad_? I'm not sad.

Lauren- Char, you told me to come over and had me sit on a couch for two hours while you read silently.

_Charlotte sighs._

Charlotte- I was just a bit concerned about Charlie. I think I might have made him feel worse yesterday.

_Lauren snorts._

Lauren- I think we all did that. Notch is resilient, though. He'll bounce back.

Charlotte- You sure?

_Lauren hesitates._

Lauren- I sure hope so. Sappy stuff isn't my forte.

_Charlotte sinks back into the couch, and Lauren purses her lips and puts a hand on Charlotte's shoulder._

Lauren- Look, you didn't do anything on purpose.

Charlotte- That really doesn't make me feel better.

_Lauren growls and punches a pillow._

Lauren- I'm _trying_ , okay?

_Charlotte manages a weak smile._

Charlotte- I know, I know.

Lauren- Hey, when Notch gets back, you can go see him again, okay?

Charlotte- Okay…

Lauren- Do you have anything I can punch now?

Charlotte- Downstairs cell block.

_Lauren exits and Charlotte chuckles. We cut to James, Will, AJ, and Hannah walking down the halls of Forrester._

James- AJ, you handled the potential assassination plot, right?

AJ- Sure thing! Turns out they just needed some clarification about your tax policy and then they realized they weren't affected by it.

Will- Fun!

James- AJ… I thought we told you to capture them all.

AJ- Well yeah, I know, but this works too, right?

Hannah- You should have seen him. He really pulled his weight.

_James sighs and rolls his eyes._

James- Well, just follow instructions next time.

AJ- Yeah… I will…

Will- Ugh, don't be so _uptight_ , Jamie.

Hannah- What do you do? You just sit in an office all day and tell people what to do.

James- _You're_ the one that's been forcing me to make more public appearances.

Hannah- The people need to know their leader!

_As they round the corner, Charlie spots them from across the hall, now having ditched the sunglasses._

Charlie- Hey, guys!

Hannah- Charlie!

James- Oh, good. We have some outlaws that we could use your help-

_Will elbows James._

James- What?

Will- Be sensitive.

_Charlie strides over to them, grinning._

Charlie- How are you guys?

Will- We're well… how are you?

Charlie- Never better!

AJ- Really?

Charlie- Truly, _truly_!

_An awkward silence._

Will- Well, it's good to see you.

Charlie- I'm certainly not _cross_ about it either.

_Awkward chuckles, and Charlie pulls Will into a very long hug._

Will- Hehe… this is happening.

_Charlie opens his eyes to see a wide-eyed James glaring at him and subtly gesturing to nearby guards, and he releases a dazed Will._

James- SO CHARLIE, what are your plans for the day?

_Charlie shrugs._

Charlie- Go where the wind takes me. Explore. Catch up with friends.

_James starts to speak, but Hannah interrupts him._

Hannah- Well, that sounds _great_. Have fun!

Charlie- Oh, and I think I saw some riots in the lunchroom on my way up here.

_James sighs._

James- I'll go and-

Will- Oh, no, no, no. You've got _plans_ , remember?

_James flushes._

James- Fine. AJ, deal with it.

AJ- You've got it!

James- Round them all up. Public torment, please.

_AJ sighs._

AJ- You got it.

Will- Hannah, can you handle our press circuit for the day? James and I have business to talk.

_Hannah rolls her eyes._

Hannah- Sure you do. Yeah, yeah, I've got it.

_Will and James head off, and Hannah pats AJ on the shoulder before leaving as well._

AJ- Well, Charlie, feel like spending some quality bonding time with your buddy AJ?

Charlie- Tempting as that is, I have other matters to attend to.

_AJ sighs and starts to walk off._

Charlie- Oh, but AJ!  


_AJ turns around, and Charlie winks._

Charlie- Don't be afraid to do things your way every now and then.

_AJ slowly nods, and Charlie chuckles and exits. AJ hesitates, then turns around as well. We cut to Karasu, Amaru, and Lupa on the steps outside Maple Valley. Lupa is on the phone._

Lupa- Okay. Got it.

_She hangs up._

Lupa- Charlie's back!

Amaru- How is he?

Karasu- What did he say?

Amaru- What was he wearing?

Lupa- Relax. Apparently he seemed fine.

Amaru- You know what that means!

Karasu- Call his phone!  


_Dramatic shots of Lupa dialing a number on her phone with equally dramatic sound effects._

Lupa- He didn't answer!  


Amaru- Plan B!

Karasu- Raid the entire town!

_Hard cut to the entire Valley army walking down the streets of Ashmount, beating up random people and ransacking shops._

Lupa- Where's Charlie?

Random Man- I don't-

_Lupa whacks him with her spear, sending him crashing across the street and into a car. Karasu repeatedly punches a man while Amaru has him in a headlock._

Karasu- Did you kidnap Charlie?

Random Man Two- Who's-

_Karasu socks him in the face while Amaru cries hysterically._

Amaru- You _maniac_! How could you do that to him?

_Some Redclaws swerve the chariot into a nearby shop, breaking most of the wall._

Lupa- That's what you get for withholding his location from us!

Karasu- So what do we think? Government conspiracy.

Amaru- My vote's on alien abduction.

Lupa- _Please_. It's obviously his evil biological family.

_Lupa's phone buzzes and she looks at it._

Lupa- Oh, hold on! I missed that he left a voicemail!  


_She holds the phone to her ear._

Lupa- Oh, he's just driving.

Amaru and Karasu- Ooooooooh.

_They look awkwardly at the pandemonium around them._

Amaru- Um… sorry about this.

_The three of them awkwardly turn around and walk away, and we cut to Hannah at a press conference facing down a bunch of student journalists._

Hannah- And later today, Will is attending a showcase by the robotics team. Alright, that concludes-

_The journalists erupt in yelling, but they all fall quiet when one girl, Abby Quill, stands up, holding a notepad._

Abby- Hi, Hann. Abby Quill, _Forrester Fire_. Can I just ask you a few questions?

_Hannah smiles warmly._

Hannah- Sure, Abby.

_Abby grins._

Abby- First of all, why aren't James and Will doing this press conference themselves? I've looked at the agenda and they're not doing anything right now.

Hannah- Oh, they just have lots of important things to-

Abby- More important things to do than reassure the people that we're going to be alright?

Hannah- They're running a whole school, Abby.

Abby- Do you realize that the students of Forrester live every day in fear and confusion of what disaster or war will strike them next? Nate, zoom in on her.

_Abby's cameraman shoves his camera closer to Hannah, and Hannah grits her teeth._

Hannah- I understand that completely, and our administration is working on being more transparent than ever.

Abby- In a recent survey conducted by _The Forrester Fire_ , 76% of students indicated that they don't feel like they have a connection to James and Will.

Hannah- Thanks for the suggestions, Abby. Now, I'm sure we have a lot of other questions to-

Abby- My contacts just texted me, and they haven't seen James and Will anywhere in the offices or the rest of school. So level with me, Goldenshire-

Hannah- Ugh, they're probably in the board room or something. That's where they always go-

Abby- The board room? Perfect! Come on, you guys!

_Abby and the rest of the journalists quickly bustle out of the room._

Hannah- Wait, where are you-

_Hard cut to Abby throwing open the door to the board room, where James and Will are sitting in a chair and making out._

James- Gah!  


Will- Ugh, can we please be left alone for _once_.

Abby- Nate!

_Nate snaps pictures of the two of them as Hannah shoves her way through._

Hannah- Get out of here! This is _not_ part of the press conference.

Abby- I can already see the headline. 'Forrester Dictators Make Out While Their Subjects Live in Fear!'

James- You can't print that!

Abby- Freedom of press, Orwick!

Will- I thought we banned freedom of press last week?

James- I think maybe we just drafted it.

Will- Ugh, come _on_.

_Abby flashes a smile._

Abby- Well, since I have your attention, I may as well ask a few questions for the _Fire_.

Hannah- Hey! They're not camera-ready!

Will- Leave! Now!

_The reporters keep yelling and pushing through, and James grits his teeth._

James- Guards!

_We cut to AJ talking to some students in the cafeteria._

AJ- So what you're saying is that you're just afraid of James and Will's excessive use of military power on their own student body?

Student- Yes, exactly!  


AJ- Well, that makes a lot of sense. I'll see if I can put a word in for that, but you know they're not going to listen to you if you just riot, right?

Student- I guess so… maybe we can lay off for a while to give them a chance.

AJ- That's really thoughtful. You're definitely making the right-

_Another student runs past them._

Panicked Student- Run!

_AJ turns around to see a military entourage escorting James and Will and firing at a group of fleeing journalists._

Student- It's the military!

AJ- Wait!  


_Before AJ can say anything else, the students he was talking to are gone. James and Will walk up to a furious AJ._

James- Sorry about that, AJ. We were having journalist problems.

Will- Anyway, want to-

AJ- YOU RUINED IT!

Will- Ruined what?

AJ- I was _just_ getting them to surrender their weapons!

James- Surrender? I thought we agreed on no mercy.

AJ- These students need to think you _care_ about them!

_James rolls his eyes._

James- Why do you care so much about these students?

_AJ pauses, looking down._

AJ- Because I know how they feel…

_James' gaze softens._

James- Ugh. Okay, AJ, I'm sorry that we did that. But we didn't ruin _everything_.

Hannah- YOU RUINED EVERYTHING!

_They turn to see a very angry Hannah walking towards them, brandishing her phone._

Hannah- This is a PR nightmare! Abby Quill is already posting on the _Forrester Fire_ social media calling for your heads!

Will- Literally?

Hannah- In some parts!

James- Do we need to hire some assassins?

Will- Ooh! Or we could do a couples' assassination!

Hannah and AJ- No!

_Hannah points a finger at James and Will._

Hannah- You two are not coming out of your office all day. And tomorrow, we are _talking_ about your image.

James- You can't tell us what to-

_Hannah glares at them, and James gulps._

James- Yes, ma'am.

_James and Will shuffle away, and Hannah sighs._

Hannah- How is it that those two only manage to be marginally better than Sterling?

AJ- That's a bit much.

Hannah- You're right. Sterling had my help and he _still_ crashed and burned. But I will win over the people in James and Will's favor if it _kills_ me.

_She turns around and marches away, dragging AJ along with her. We cut to Charlotte and Lauren walking through the halls of Woodsworth._

Lauren- Notch is back and he hasn't come to say hi yet?

Charlotte- I'm sure he has his reasons.

Lauren- Meh, I'll still give a good knock upside the head for ignoring us.

_Charlotte gives Lauren a look._

Lauren- Kidding, kidding.

Charlotte- I just need to apologize for kidnapping him, then following him when he told me to leave him alone, then being overly pushy.

Lauren- Is this really that big of a deal?

Charlotte- I don't know why I feel so bad, Laur. I guess I never really felt like I had hurt any of my friends before. You guys always brush it off.

Lauren- AJ doesn't.

Charlotte- He does. He's just a drama queen.

_A pause._

Charlotte- Should I call Charlie?

Lauren- Do what you want.

Charlotte- I'm gonna call Charlie.

_As they reach Charlotte's office and enter, Charlotte pulls out her phone and dials. There's silence for a second. Then Charlotte begins to speak and we hear Charlie's voice talking back to her._

Charlie- Hey, March. What's up?

Charlotte- Charlie! Good to speak with you again!

Charlie- Charlotte March? Complimenting someone? What has the world come to?

Charlotte- Um, yeah, okay.

Charlie- There something wrong? You sound down.

Charlotte- I just wanted to apologize for yesterday. I know that the kidnapping might have been a bit much, but I was just trying to connect with-

Charlie- Oh, that? Think nothing of it!

Charlotte- Say what now?

Lauren- What's he saying?

_Charlotte hushes Lauren._

Charlie- Oh, yeah. It's totally fine. I just needed to do some self-reflection!

Charlotte- I, um… okay.

Lauren- Charlotte! Your thing is beeping!

_Lauren points to the computer, and Charlotte looks at it and narrows her eyes._

Charlotte- Charlie…?

Charlie- Mm hm? What do you need?

Charlotte- Are you calling me from inside Woodsworth?

_The camera zooms out from Charlotte's office and sweeps through the halls of Woodsworth until it enters a door down the hall where Charlie is sifting through papers in a drawer._

Charlie- Um… how did you know that?

Charlotte- Remember? I made Mr. Liev make me that device.

_Charlie narrows his eyes._

Charlie- Of course… must have slipped my mind.

Charlotte- So… what are you doing in the file room?

_Charlie chuckles._

Charlie- Reading helps… distract me from things.

Charlotte- Wait there. I'll come to you and we can catch up.

Lauren- Notch is close? Let's go!  


_Charlotte and Lauren walk out of the office and Charlotte starts leading them down the halls._

Charlie- Charlotte, I really don't know if I want to-

Charlotte- Charlie, don't be worried. I'm going to be super accommodating and listen to everything you have to say. I'm a good friend, I promise.

_Charlie is scrambling in the file room to put files back where they belong as Charlotte nears the door._

Charlie- I know what James and Will told you, but I'm just feeling a little-

Charlotte- It's fine, Charlie. I won't intrude on anything. It'll just be a conversation between friends-

Charlie- If you were _really_ my friend, you'd stop talking to me and leave me alone!

_Charlotte freezes in her tracks as her eyes widen and she bites down hard on her lip._

Charlotte- What?

Charlie- Just back off! You've already done your worst, haven't you?

Charlotte- I…um…okay…

Lauren- Char? What did he say?

_Lauren starts to move forward, but Charlotte holds out a hand._

Charlotte- It's fine. Let's go watch anime or something.

Lauren- What? But-

Charlotte- We're _going_.

_Charlotte and Lauren reluctantly turn around and walk away. In the file room, Charlie sighs as he puts his phone into his pocket. He purses his lips for a little bit, then goes to the window and jumps out. This shot transitions to a shot of Charlie jumping down from a rock in the deep forests of Ashmount. His phone rings, and he picks it up with a smile._

Charlie- Hey, Karasu? What's going on?

_Karasu's voice comes through the phone._

Karasu- Um… hey, Charlie. We figured you'd stop by the Valley today, so what gives?

Charlie- Oh? Oh, that? I just needed to take a little break for a while. From everything, you know?

Karasu- Um, yeah. Totally. We're all going to give you all the space you need.

Charlie- Aw, you guys are so nice to me.

Karasu- So what are you doing right now?

_Charlie looks around as he accidentally walks into a branch._

Charlie- Ouch! I mean, um… I'm just enjoying nature. Ashmount is such a beautiful town.

_Karasu sighs._

Karasu- I'll talk to you later, Charlie.

Charlie- Of course. Love you!

Karasu- W-wait. You l-

_Charlie hangs up and pockets his phone, looking around the forest, trying to remember where to go._

Charlie- Hm…

_He starts to walk through the forest, humming as he walks. He eventually snaps a branch off a tree to use as a walking stick… or a cane, if you will. He begins to sing a little tune._

Charlie- **Take whatever you want for yourself. Just grab right off of the shelf. Don't need to look at the price tag. Just take it and put it right in the bag. Take whatever you want, whatever the cost. Whatever you want, whatever the cost.**

_Charlie grins as he finds an area of the forest that seems to have a sort of path with large footprints in it. He skips along it happily as the background music kicks in to help his song._

Charlie- **Take whatever you want for yourself. Just grab right off of the shelf. Don't need to look at the price tag. Just take it and put it right in the bag. Take whatever you want, whatever the cost. Whatever you want, whatever the cost.**

_Charlie eventually reaches the crest of a hill where the footprint ends, overlooking the lake and the schools of Ashmount. He grins, and the camera pans over to his side to reveal Edward behind him._

Charlie- Hello, Eddie.

_End episode._


	69. Rule the School S3E11

**Episode Eleven: Birds of a Feather**

Synopsis: James and Will try to revamp their public image; Charlotte and Lauren save a kidnapped Becky; Charlie and the deputies play tag.

_We open on a TV screen as a low-budget intro plays, and then we see Abby holding a microphone as a headline flashes underneath her reading 'Orwick-Cross Regime Gone Too Far?'_

Abby- Hello, loyal readers of the _Forrester Fire_ , Abby Quill welcoming you to our new TV network. Now, we have disparaged network news in the past, but recent circumstances have forced us to extend our reach to as many people as possible. Rest assured, our journalistic integrity is still completely intact. By the way, today's news is sponsored by trustworthy company LievTech.

_Images of James and Will pop up on screen._

Abby- Current Forrester dictators James Orwick and Will Cross have been facing unprecedented levels of criticism due to their excessive use of force against citizens and their continuous refusal to engage with journalists like _me_ who just want them to answer for their _heinous crimes._ Nate, dramatic zoom.

_The camera zoom in on Abby's face._

Abby- I am addressing this to you, James and Will. You rose to power in times of chaos, in times of war, and we accepted you because you kept us safe. But you have _not_ proven to the people of Forrester why you deserve to rule in times of peace. All I can ask is… what do you have to say for yourself?

_An image of a hat flashes onscreen._

Abby- And if you want to show your support for the _Forrester Fire_ , then please buy this limited edition 'What do you have to say for yourself?' hat! Abby Quill, signing off.

_The screen goes back, and we pan out to see James and Will watching, furious._

Will- Not. Good.

James- That uppity little journalist is just _asking_ to disappear mysteriously.

Will- Maybe tone it down a bit, Jamie.

_They look over as they hear a bang on the wall, rolling up the blinds to see tons of students outside holding up signs of protest and whatnot._

Student One- Down with the regime!

Student Two- We deserve to be treated with dignity!

James- This is bad…

Will- Got that right… wanna put the blinds back down and make out?

James- Will?!

Will- Hey, I'm just brainstorming. There are no bad ideas.

AJ- James! Will!

_James and Will look outside to see Hannah and AJ trying to push through the crowd._

Will- We need to get them in here!

James- Are you sure we can't just leave them? They'll be fine…

Will- James!

James- Fine, fine.

_James and Will rush to the door, opening it a crack and pushing back the other students trying to rush in, eventually managing to pull AJ and Hannah into the room and slamming the door. James goes to close the blind._

AJ- Agh! Thanks, guys!

James- I thought I told you to shut down the news feed, Hannah.

Hannah- I made an executive decision.

Will- But you're not an executive.

Hannah- Silencing the opposition is _not_ the way to win this, you two.

James- What?

Hannah- I've made some arrangements for you to show the school how much you care about them. Don't mess this up.

_A pause._

AJ- You do care about the school, right?

James and Will- Yeah, yeah, of course.

James- What kind of arrangements are we talking about here?

_James' phone starts ringing and he puts it to his ear. We hear a voice come through._

Abby- Hey, James. Where did you want to film your and Will's live interview?

_James shoots Hannah a glare._

James- Excuse me, Ms. Quill?

Abby- You're right, you're right. We'll have it in your office. I'll be up there in two hours with my crew. And don't forget… the whole school will be watching you two…

_James gulps._

James- I'm looking forward to it.

Abby- Oh, trust me, I am too. Now, would you mind wearing one our hats for the inter-

_James hangs up._

Will- What's going on, James?

James- _She_ invited Abby Quill to interview us in two hours!

Will- Hannah! You invited _journalists_ here? I thought we were friends!

_Hannah seems a bit hurt, and her steadfastness wavers._

Hannah- I, um, I was just trying to-

James- Trying to what? Publicly humiliate us?

Will- I'm going to faint! James, catch me!  


_Will collapses onto James, sending both of them to the floor. AJ lightly grips Hannah's hand and she breathes in and out._

Hannah- Get up, you two!  


_James and Will sheepishly get up._

Hannah- I am putting my foot down on this one. You two can't hide from the people forever, or else they'll overthrow even before some villain comes along. So can you stop making fools of yourselves for _one second_ and do what you need to do!?

_James and Will are a bit taken aback._

James- I…um…

Will- Yes, ma'am.

_AJ whispers to Hannah._

AJ- Nice job.

Hannah- Thanks, AJ.

_She turns back to James and Will._

Hannah- Now, me and AJ are going to prepare you for this interview. You will be _charming_ , you will be _relatable_ , you will be _compassionate_. Understood?

Will- Well, I've got the charming part down.

_Hannah narrows her eyes and cracks her knuckles._

Hannah- We'll see about that…

_James and Will gulp, and we cut to the deputies making camp in the forest._

Emily- Ugh! I can't believe James and Will kicked us out of Forrester!

Gabriel- So what if we're not a 'comforting presence for students to be around!'

Mr. Garcia- Well, if you guys don't have anything better to do, does anyone want to help me transport an undisclosed package to an empty warehouse?

_A voice rings out among the forest._

Charlie- I might have a better idea…

_Charlie steps from the trees, now having traded his traditional jacket for one of black leather and a higher collar._

Matthew- You're that Valley kid.

Charlie- Babe, I'm _the_ Valley kid. And I was just looking for you all! Why aren't you in school?

Carmen- Got kicked out. Considering a complex revenge plot.

Charlie- Well, you _could_ go with the revenge plot, or you could do a fun training exercise with me!  


Mr. Garcia- Lauren runs our training.

Charlie- Me and Lee are like this! I taught _her_ some stuff, you know.

_The deputies scoff._

Gabriel- And what does this training exercise entail?

Charlie- You all try and catch me. Simple as that. We can use the whole town, and I get thirty minutes to run. Unless of course, you think you can't track me.

Carmen- I once tracked a man just by knowing his favorite episode of _Quasar Nova_.

Charlie- Sounds like you guys accept, then.

Emily- Five of us versus one of you? Sounds unfair!

Charlie- For you, maybe.

Mr. Garcia- Should we wait for Lee?

Charlie- Oh, she's busy today. I'll just start my time now.

_Charlie begins to run away._

Mr. Garcia- Busy with what?

_Charlie yells back over his shoulder._

Charlie- Oh, I think I heard something about a terrible kidnapping…

_We cut to Charlotte and Lauren sitting in Charlotte's office as Lauren talks on the phone with James._

Lauren- I'm gonna _kill_ you, Orwick. You kicked my deputies out of school?!

_A pause._

Lauren- Are you _kidding_ me? Ugh, whatever.

_Lauren hangs up and Charlotte leans back in her chair._

Charlotte- What's going on?

Lauren- James isn't letting me back into Forrester. Something about bad PR. _And_ he kicked out my deputies.

Charlotte- Is staying here at Woodsworth _that_ bad?

Lauren- Love you to death, Char, but you kind of turned this place into some weirdo dystopian police state.

Charlotte- What, you preferred this place under the Whisperer?

_Lauren snorts._

Lauren- Would you be mad if I said yes?

Charlotte- Hey! I have at _least_ one room dedicated to fun.

Lauren- Well, I don't suppose you'd let me kill time by beating up random students.

Charlotte- Be my guest. Maybe we can put you in a mask so it looks like you're a random rioter. Then it'll increase the citizen's dependence on me.

Lauren- Ugh, you're all business. I think you're turning into _James_.

Charlotte- I have six heavily armed guards outside. Take that back.

Lauren- Fine, fine, I take it back. Now what do you want to-

_A messenger bursts through the door holding a phone._

Messenger- Ms. March! There's a message for you.

Charlotte- Ugh. Give it to me.

_Charlotte holds the phone up to his ear and we cut to Becky tied up in a chair speaking into the phone._

Becky- Hey, it's Becky. I've been totally kidnapped, so maybe save me or something? Ugh, whatever.

_The phone hangs up and Charlotte and Lauren look at each other._

Lauren- Do we _have_ to?

Charlotte- Actually, yes. Becky and I have plans tomorrow.

Lauren- Trying new poisons on unwilling prisoners?

Charlotte- Trying new poisons on unwilling prisoners.

_We cut to Hannah and AJ facing down James and Will inside their office._

Hannah- Abby Quill is _ruthless_ , you two. She is going to try and dismantle _everything_ about you two.

James- Well, there's not much she can go after, right?

_There's a moment of silence._

AJ- No offense, James, but everyone is scared of you two! Even I'm scared of you guys sometimes… most of the time… all the time…

James- AJ…

AJ- But that's not what this is about! You two are going to win the public over with our help!

Will- Great! What should I wear?

Hannah- We're preparing what you're going to _say_ , Will.

Will- We have to TALK?

_Hannah and AJ facepalm, and we go through various shots of Hannah and AJ preparing James and Will, using pointers to point out strategies on a blackboard._

Hannah- Okay, you two need to be _relatable_! Give me a good fake laugh.

_Will smiles and laughs fairly convincingly, while James' face performs spastic twitches as the sound of a barking canary escapes his mouth._

James- Was… was that good?

_A pause._

AJ- Do you really want me to-

James- On second thought, don't answer that.

_Cut to a bit later._

Hannah- Abby's gonna grill you two on your policies, too.

James- I know every bill we've passed front to back.

Will- Erm… maybe I can rely on my charm…

James- Will, were you seriously not listening at all those meetings?

Will- I have important responsibilities! I'm the face of the regime!

Hannah- AJ! Flashcards!

_AJ pulls out some flashcards and drags Will away, and Hannah pulls out a picture of a student and holds it up to James._

Hannah- What would you say to this student if you passed her in the halls?

James- This is unrealistic. I'd never walk in the same hallway as a peon.

Hannah- _James_.

James- Fine. I guess I'd say 'you're welcome.'

Hannah- For what?

James- For protecting her rights, obviously!

Hannah- Her rights to what?

James- Be my subject, of course.

_To AJ and Will._

AJ- Okay, Will, name one order you two passed recently that benefitted students.

Will- Um… let's see… it's on the tip of my tongue…

_Will brightens._

Will- Ha! It's a trick question! We haven't passed any orders like that!

AJ- That's the problem!  


_He hands Will a piece of paper._

AJ- You need to present a plan for the future that people will _actually agree with_.

_Will pouts._

Will- But what about our planned investment in an indoor steakhouse for me and James?

_The rest of James and Will's training passes in quick shots, with AJ and Will doing rapid-fire flashcards and Hannah forcing James to pose next to a cardboard cutout of a student and force a smile._

AJ- And that's when I said, 'that's my mother's name too!'

_A pause, then Will and James force themselves to laugh slightly more convincingly._

James- I did it!  


Will- Good job, Jamie!

_They pause as they look over to Hannah, who's pursing her lips._

Will- What's wrong, Hannah? I think we've been doing pretty well.

Hannah- It's just… I don't know if any of this will matter…

AJ- What? Do you know how long I spent doing flashcards with Will?

Hannah- People can see past all the fake stuff, especially a journalist like Abby…

James- So what do we-

Hannah- How did you do it originally?

Will- Do what?

Hannah- Convince people that you cared about Forrester… convince people to fight for you.

_There's a pause as James and Will look at each other._

James- Well… it's not hard to convince people of the truth.

_Hannah is taken aback for a second, then smiles._

Hannah- Let's see if we can capture that for the interview.

_We cut to Karasu in Nightfeather headquarters doing some training exercises with their soldiers._

Karasu- Hiya!

_They kick a soldier into the wall, ducking under another's blade and tripping them up. They grin as they stand up._

Karasu- Nice improvement, but it'll take-

_They suddenly stand up, sensing someone nearby. They turn around to chuck a foam knife behind them only for it to be caught by Charlie._

Charlie- A 'welcome back' would have been fine.

Karasu- Charlie! What are you doing here?

Charlie- Oh, should I come back another time?

Karasu- No, no, it's fine. I'm glad to see you.

_Charlie flashes them a smile._

Charlie- It's good to see you too, Karasu. But you were right. I do have a reason for being here.

Karasu- Of course, what do you need? I can do whatever you need to me to.

Charlie- Well, it's hard for me to say this, but… I think I'm being hunted by Forrester troops.

Karasu- What?

Charlie- It's the deputies, Karasu. They're after me.

Karasu- But… Forrester's our ally. Surely they know better than to anger us.

Charlie- I don't know, I don't know. Maybe they think I'm a liability…

_He hangs his head._

Charlie- Maybe I am…

_Karasu is quick to his side._

Karasu- No, no, no. I believe you, Charlie. Do we need to set a trap for these troops at the Valley?

_Charlie sniffles._

Charlie- I want to settle this without getting anyone else involved.

Karasu- But-

Charlie- I don't want to be a _burden_ to them, Karasu.

_Karasu nods._

Karasu- I understand. So what's the plan?

_Charlie allows himself a slight grin._

Charlie- First we get off school property. Then we can-

_A paintball splatter on the wall next to them and Charlie's eyes widen._

Charlie- We need to leave!

_He opens up a tunnel in the Valley and ushers Karasu through a tunnel as the deputies burst through._

Emily- There he is!

_The deputies run in the tunnel after him, firing paintballs and arrows. Karasu throws a net back at them, and Mr. Garcia jumps over it, aiming his paintball rifle and yelling as he fires._

Karasu- They even brought _guns_!?

Mr. Garcia- You're not getting away, Notch!

Karasu- Why do they want-

Charlie- I don't _know_!

Karasu- Jump!

_The two of them jump out of the tunnel just in time to grab onto some branches of a tree within the forest. The deputies burst out and land a bit lower on the tree._

Charlie- We need to get away from them! We need to get into town!

Karasu- Are you sure? I think we can take them.

Charlie- Don't underestimate them. Just trust me.

_Karasu hesitates but nods, and the two of them begin making their way across the forest canopy towards town. We cut to Charlotte kneeling down in an empty room in Woodsworth, holding her phone. Lauren stands behind her, exasperated._

Charlotte- The system says that Becky called from somewhere around here…

Lauren- I think I would notice if there was an annoying intern around here.

Charlotte- The distance is too big, though… I can't figure this out.

Lauren- Maybe we were too late and she's already six feet under.

_Charlotte's eyes widen._

Charlotte- That's it!

Lauren- Poller's dead? Oh no, what a shame.

Charlotte- Not that!

_Charlotte feels around on the floor and wall, eventually finding something to press and opening the wall into a large staircase downstairs. Lauren groans loudly._

Lauren- Ugh! Of _course_ there's a secret underground bunker!

Charlotte- Just come on, Laur. I might need backup.

Lauren- And my winning personality, but I guess that's not important.

_The two girls descend down the stairs and enter a long hallway that eventually becomes a glass tunnel with water and fish all around._

Lauren- Woah! An aquarium…

Charlotte- This isn't an aquarium… we're under the lake.

Lauren- What's a stronger version of 'woah'?

Charlotte- I don't know and I don’t care.

Lauren- Woah to the power of thirty two!

_They enter a room with old-timey computers. Charlotte goes to them and squints at the screen._

Charlotte- I think this place was some sort of old sonar spy center.

Lauren- Does it still work?

Charlotte- Only the radio.

_She presses a button and club music starts playing. While Charlotte fiddles with the computers, Lauren wanders to other corners of the room, eventually looking up at something on the wall._

Lauren- Um, Charlotte?

_Charlotte turns and sees what Lauren does: a massive image of a snake spray-painted onto the wall. They look at each other._

Lauren- You don't think…

Charlotte- Whisperer loyalists.

_A voice calls out._

Voice- We are the Hidden Whispers!

_Charlotte and Lauren turn to see a door closing behind a group of hooded and masked students, all with snake emblems on their chests._

Whisper One- You are trespassers!

Charlotte- I legally own this school.

Whisper Two- But… but we put a sign up that said this place was our property.

_Charlotte pulls out her paintball pistol._

Charlotte- That's not _legally binding_!

_She fires, and the Whispers pull out their own weaponry and begin firing at Charlotte and Lauren, who duck behind the consoles. Lauren tries to peek out, but a barrage of paintballs stops her._

Lauren- Cover for me!  


_Charlotte nods, waiting for the Whispers to reload before rolling out and firing at them. They scatter to dodge her shots only to find Lauren running towards them. She elbows one in the stomach, slams two with a single swing of her axe, and bashes the other's head with the barrel of her pistol. Charlotte walks up, bending down to empty the Whispers' pockets to no avail._

Charlotte- Did you have to knock them all out? We could have interrogated them.

Lauren- You're no fun. I wanted to beat them up.

Charlotte- You could have beat them up _afterwards_.

Lauren- I don't follow.

_A pause._

Lauren- What now?

_Charlotte sighs._

Charlotte- We go where they came from… there's bound to be more clues to Becky's whereabouts there.

Lauren- And more people to beat up?

Charlotte- Possibly.

_They open the door and walk through, and we cut to the news crew bursting into James and Will's office and setting it up for the interview. Hannah and AJ talk with a nervous James and Will._

Hannah- You've got this, guys. Just be genuine and courteous.

Will- Those two are mutually exclusive when it comes to journalists.

AJ- Relax, Will! You two are going to _nail_ this.

Will- I think a dramatic entrance might calm me down. Come on, James.

James- Ugh, I think I'm going to be sick.

Hannah- Save it for when you're off-camera, Orwick!

_Will and James walk onstage dramatically hand-in-hand as electronic music plays and a voice plays over the speakers._

DJ Badboi- Welcome to the Orwick-Cross interview! I'm your sick announcer, DJ Badboi, and here come the unlucky victims of tonight's show!

James- Victims?

Will- Stay calm… stay calm.

DJ Badboi- And here's our judge, jury, and executioner, the winner of Forrester's Most Salacious Gossiper for three years straight, Abby Quill!

_The cameras all zoom in as Abby enters, dressed with an extravagant boa and fur coat. Two Nates follow her with cameras as she sits down in a chair that's noticeably higher than James and Will's. She pulls out her notebook and winks at the camera as she uses her pen to decapitate tiny dolls of James and Will. The crowd roars until Abby raises her hand, then they all hush._

Abby- James Orwick, Will Cross… thank you _so_ much for joining me today.

_James and Will gulp in sync_.

James- Um, yeah, totally.

Will- Pl-pleasure's all ours.

_They look to the backstage and see Hannah and AJ waving their arms wildly._

Will- Oh, right!

_He grips James' hand._

Will- Did I mention we're dating?

James- We're very relatable!  


_Abby narrows her eyes._

Abby- Let's skip the pleasantries, shall we, boys? Recently your administration has come under fire for excessive military presence. What do you have to say about future solutions to these concerns?

Will- Oh, we'll fix that.

James- Don't even worry about it.

Abby- _Lots_ of people are worried about it. Can I please get some specific details about future policy.

_Will grips James' hand and he takes a deep breath._

James- We… we're going to remove troops from all regular classrooms and minimize our border control so as to cause students less inconvenience.

_Abby is a bit taken aback._

Abby- I…erm… thank you, Mr. Orwick.

Will- At a loss for words, Ms. Quill?

_The audience laughs, and Abby quickly regains her composure._

Abby- And you'll stop forcing students to get involved in wars and conquest?

James- Well…I…

Abby- His silence is all you need, folks!

Will- Hey, that's not fair! Give him the chance to answer!  


Abby- Of course. I've _got_ to hear this!

_Will glances at James, who stammers a bit._

James- I, um, I don't want to-

Will- HEY, ABBY! I think the Forrester students would love to hear my new stand-up routine! AJ, bring out the microphone.

_AJ tries to rush out, but he's restrained by the Nates. Abby cackles._

Abby- Nate, zoom in on Orwick! Let's see those beads of sweat!

_The camera zooms in as James struggles to find the words._

James- Look, I don't want to lie to the students of Forrester. We're trying our best to keep the school at peace for now, but when me and Will try and defend our school from invaders, we do it for all of us.

Abby- So why exactly did we need to conquer Woodsworth? In a recent survey on the _Forrester Fire_ , 85 percent of students stated that they had experienced no noticeable change in their lives since the recent war.

Will- Are you serious? I can name at least five policies that directly resulted from that war!

Abby- Go right ahead, then.

_Will looks to Hannah, who sheepishly holds up three fingers._

Will- I can name _three_ policies. We used joint authority to increase transportation efficiency, we-

Abby- Yeah, yeah, yeah, nobody wants to hear that logistical spiel. What do you have to say about allegations that you only appoint your friends to positions of power.

James- It's pure coincidence! We just surround ourselves with very capable people!

Abby- Have you heard of one AJ Mitchell?

  
AJ- Hey!

Abby- And what about Forrester sheriff Lauren Lee? The troops, when interviewed, showed complete loyalty to her over you. Aren't you worried about a potential rebellion?

Will- Always, but we're hiding it for the cameras.

James- Is it working?

Abby- Sure.

Will- You know, I'd like to ask you something, Ms. Quill. Why are you obsessed with taking our image down?

Abby- You mean besides giving myself the opportunity to tell our viewers about…

_She pulls out a knife._

Abby- Tucker's Turkey Cutter! It's a regular knife that combusts violently if it touches anything other than turkey! Make that fowl feel a little more special!

_She turns back to James and Will._

Abby- Now, back to the interview. Can we please discuss your fashion _fail_ last week at the parents' gala-

James- You know what, stop it!

_James stands up, and Will looks at him nervously._

Will- Jamie, what are you doing?

Abby- _Jamie?!_ Oh, _that's_ going in the paper for sure!

James- Can you just _shut up,_ Abby?

_Abby actually goes silent for a silent, but she is still scribbling on her paper loudly. James walks towards the camera._

James- Look, I think this whole interview is kind of stupid. Our interviewer is some wannabe tabloid writer who won't even give us the time of day!

Abby- Hey!

James- But Will and I still spent time and effort preparing for it, okay! And not because we cared about pleasing Abby Quill, but because we cared about pleasing you! And they're not just empty words, okay? Hannah actually made us think of ways to help the common students!

Abby- She _made_ you?

_Will recovers and walks up to join James._

Will- We're not perfect, Forrester, but we're trying.

James- So can you just take us as we are now… and help us to be better in the future. Better for the school… better for all of you.

_There's a moment of silence, and then the live audience begins to cheer and the students around the school cheer as well. Abby grumbles._

Abby- Ugh, just cut the feed, Nate!

_Around the school, the screens go black and Abby gets down from her chair._

Abby- Schmaltzy nonsense. This is _not_ the journalism I signed up for.

James- Thank you so much for having us, Abby.

Abby- Go burn, both of you. I'll have your redemption piece up in the paper tomorrow.

Will- Um… thank you?

_The film crew begins to leave, and Hannah and AJ run up to James and Will._

AJ- That was great, you two!  


Hannah- I might be rubbing off on you.

James- Ugh, I feel so soft and squishy. It's making me nauseous.

Will- Gasp! Does this mean you'll finally watch a romcom with me?

James- I'm not _that_ soft yet, Will.

_James turns to face Hannah and AJ._

James- I…um… thank you, you two.

AJ- Eh, it was nothing. Now about that personal vending machine in my office?

James- We'll see if we have the funds.

AJ- Yes!

_The four of them walk away together, and we cut to a seemingly quiet section of Ashmount as the cold wind blows leaves across the street. Suddenly, Charlie and Karasu fly across the screen, the deputies following close behind. Karasu clashes with Emily and Gabriel._

Karasu- Agh, back off!

Gabriel- You're not a part of this, just give us Notch!

_Suddenly, his legs are pulled out from under him as Charlie brandishes his ribbon. He holds Karasu by the waist as he grapples up to a roof, the both of them waiting to catch their breath._

Karasu- They're relentless.

Charlie- They were trained by Lee, Karasu.

Karasu- Where are we even going?

Charlie- I need you to lead them into Blackvine Alley. I can take it from there.

_Karasu nods, but they look down to see the deputies forming a human ladder that Mr. Garcia starts to run up._

Karasu- You're kidding me.

Mr. Garcia- AAAAAAAH!

_Charlie jumps down from the roof, and Karasu jumps to kick Mr. Garcia as the rest of the deputies scramble up to meet them. We cut to Charlie going to a spot where a baseball bat is waiting against a wall. He picks it up, testing a hit against a wall and he recoils from the impact._

Charlie- I… I'm strong…

_He lets out a laugh._

Charlie- Cool.

_We cut to Karasu running down an alleyway, fending off the deputies as they do so. They eventually find themselves at a dead end and the deputies corner them._

Karasu- Come, Charlie…

Carmen- Where's Notch?

_Karasu lifts their blade, but before anyone can move, Mr. Garcia falls to the ground with a sickening crack, revealing a grinning Charlie behind the deputies. The other deputies rush towards him, but he slams the bat into Gabriel's stomach, shoves Emily's face down onto his knee, knocks Carmen out with one swing, and punches Matthew in the face, leaving his unconscious form with a nosebleed. Karasu is a bit taken aback as Charlie steps over the unconscious deputies._

Karasu- Don't… don't you think that was a bit much?

_Charlie glances back and shrugs._

Charlie- This is war, Karasu.

Karasu- W-war? What do you mean?

Charlie- The deputies came after me. _Forrester_ came after me. And the Valley is going to strike back.

Karasu- Are you sure? Maybe there's some way we can-

Charlie- I don't trust James and Will, and you shouldn't either. How long do you think they'll respect the Valley's sovereignty for?

Karasu- I… I know what you mean, but-

_Charlie holds Karasu by the shoulders and looks in their eyes with something approximating warmth._

Charlie- We can protect the Valley… and we can do more than that.

_Karasu hesitates, but nods._

Karasu- What do you need from me, Charlie?

_Charlie tugs Karasu a bit closer._

Charlie- I'll be in touch.

_Charlie suddenly pulls away to turn around and walk away. Karasu reaches after him, but pulls themselves back, straightening up and taking a deep breath. We cut to Charlotte and Lauren finishing off another room of enemies in the underwater base._

Charlotte- Ugh. How many of these guys _are_ there?

Lauren- Not nearly enough.

_They walk down a hallway, and a faint voice becomes clearer._

Becky- I am _so_ done. Let me out of here, you losers. I will _literally_ poison all of you.

Charlotte- Obnoxious high-pitched whining?

Lauren- It's Poller!

_They rush down the hallway, throwing open a door to reveal Becky tied up in a chair._

Becky- Who's there? I've been in solitude for so long that I can't recognize faces.

Charlotte- Becky, you've been down here for like an hour or two.

Becky- Just get me out of these ropes.

Lauren- You know, you could have told us you were in some rad underwater base.

Becky- Is that what this is? I thought I was in an especially nice aquarium prison.

Charlotte- You are _so_ unhelpful.

Becky- Oh, poor Charlotte. You're not the one tied in a chair.

Charlotte- I suppose I could help with that.

_Charlotte moves to untie Becky, but a tremor passes through the ground. Then another one. Then another… almost like footsteps._

Lauren- Um, Char? What is that?

_Charlotte pulls out her paintball pistol as she and Lauren look behind them to the hallway to reveal a looming figure stepping into view: Edward._

Charlotte- Is that…

Lauren- _Edward_.

Becky- Oh, is that his name?

Lauren- You saw him?

Becky- Yeah, of course. He's the one that kidnapped me.

Charlotte- You could have _warned_ us.

Becky- I didn't realize he was of significance. I don't think I was main cast then.

_They're interrupted by another tremor as Edward stomps down, then begins to charge forwards._

Lauren and Charlotte- AH!

_Lauren and Charlotte jump to the side, leaving Becky right in Edward's path._

Becky- GUYS!

_Lauren pulls Becky to the side as Edward skids to a halt, slamming into the glass and sending cracks through the glass._

Charlotte- Watch the glass, moron!

_Lauren leaps onto Edward's back repeatedly punching him until he manages to shake her off._

Lauren- Where's your boss, Ed?! He recover from that weird seizure he had?

_Edward growls, picking up Lauren by the hair and tossing her into the same wall, the cracks spreading farther._

Charlotte- Lauren, this place is going to start leaking soon! Leave her!

_Lauren grabs Becky's chair with Becky still in it and slams it against Edward's stomach._

Becky- AAAAAAAH!

_Edward is slightly knocked back._

Lauren- Can't handle the sheriff?

_Edward growls and purposefully punches into the wall, bursting a hole in the wall and sending water flooding into the room._

Charlotte- You _idiot_! Lauren, we need to go!

Becky- What about ME?

Charlotte- Lauren, grab Becky, I guess.

_Lauren grabs Becky's chair and slings it over her back as she and Charlotte start running away from the room._

Lauren- Wait, where's Edward?

_The two of them look back to see Edward outside the hall and in the lake. He doesn't float in the slightest, simply walking away across the lake floor._

Lauren- Weirdo.

Charlotte- What about those 'Hidden Whispers?'

_As they approach one of the earlier rooms, they find it empty._

Charlotte- Oh, of _course_ they're all gone.

_They make it up the stairs and back into the main school, breathing heavily for a second to recover._

Charlotte- Ugh, repairing that water damage is gonna cost _so_ much.

Lauren- Does… does this mean the Whisperer is back?

_A pause._

Becky- I don't know and I don't care, but can _someone_ please untie me from this chair?

_We cut to Abby in her journalist's office, twirling her pen as she talks to someone on the phone. We hear Charlie's voice speaking back to her._

Abby- Sorry, whoever you are, but my hands are tied. James and Will nailed that interview, and now the best journalistic decision is covering their redemption arc.

Charlie- Unfortunately, that won't do at all.

Abby- Well, unless another juicy controversy comes up, the _Forrester Fire_ won't be going after James and Will. Sorry, loyal fan.

_We cut to Charlie leaning against a wall around Ashmount._

Charlie- Controversy, huh?

_A pause._

Charlie- I can arrange that.

_End episode._


	70. Rule the School S3E12

**Episode Twelve: The Furious Faces of Farrenburr Fashion**

Synopsis: Hannah and AJ are dispatched to help with conflict in the Valley; James and Will meet some alumni; Lauren and Charlotte investigate missing chemistry equipment.

_We open on the loud sounds of a private jet in the air as we pan up to it landing on a tower in East Ashmount. There's colorful lettering emblazoned on the sides of the plane reading 'Farrenburr Fashion.' Then we cut to inside the Corrigan Correctional Facility where Angela is sitting on the other side of the glass talking to the camera._

Angela- Oh, so you two _finally_ decided to come back? Yeah, nothing big happened while you were gone. I bought some new clothes, made some friends, and oh yeah, got FRAMED FOR THEFT AND SENT TO JUVIE!

_We see the men across from Angela, her fathers Saheel and Jermaine, both dressed very ostentatiously._

Saheel- Angel, you have to understand, we exhausted every legal mean we could think of when we were abroad.

Angela- You own a multinational fashion company! You can pull some strings!

_Jermaine sniffs._

Jermaine- I wish it were the case, Angel. Anywhere else, maybe, but this is Ashmount we're talking about. Everyone here is constantly trying to pull every string they can.

Angela- You could have called!

Jermaine- Didn't you get our care packages?

Angela- No!

Angela, Saheel, and Jermaine- Ugh, prison politics.

Saheel- Make sure to get those back. They have our unreleased line!

_Angela glances down._

Angela- Thanks, dad.

Jermaine- Angel…

_Angela looks up._

Jermaine- Be brave for us, okay?

_Angela swallows and nods._

Saheel- We _will_ make this better. You believe that, don't you?

_A pause._

Angela- I love you, dads.

_Jermaine and Saheel sigh, and we cut to the two of them walking outside, Jermaine acting dramatically._

Jermaine- Our little girl, an accused criminal!

Saheel- Convicted, actually.

Jermaine- That's _worse_ , Saheel!

Saheel- Hey. Listen to me, Jermaine. We are going to fix this. We are going to fix Angel's predicament and restore the Farrenburr reputation. And we will _ruin_ those responsible for this.

Charlie- I might be able to help with that, sirs.

_Saheel and Jermaine turn to see Charlie leaning against a wall._

Jermaine- Who are you?

Charlie- A concerned citizen.

Saheel- Ugh, are you a fan? No, we're not offering samples of our new line.

Charlie- No, no, no. I just want to help you guys reach out to defend your daughter.

Saheel- What do you know about our daughter?

Charlie- I know that she was sent to her doom by two people: James Orwick and Will Cross.

Jermaine- Her bosses? They're not the ones that framed her.

Charlie- But they're the ones that profited. More fear, more power… all from that war that they only seemed to start _after_ she was already gone.

_A pause as Saheel and Jermaine think._

Charlie- Your daughter lost everything… and James and Will are better off than ever… think on that.

_Charlie begins to walk away._

Jermaine- Hey! Who are you!

_A car pulls up and Charlie opens the door to get inside._

Charlie- Can't wait for your new line.

_He shuts the door, and Saheel and Jermaine are left flabbergasted. We cut to Xander, Rita, Richard, and other Sunlions walking through the halls of Maple Valley._

Rita- No word from Charlie?

Richard- If I had word, I'd tell you!

Xander- No need to get testy. We're all a bit worried, Richard.

Richard- He _promised_ that we were going to do a sweatervest modeling session and he _bailed_!

Rita- What a shame…

Xander- Well, can we get him back? He's the only one of you that's semi-tolerable.

Rita- You're making a _bomb_?!

Xander- What?

Richard- What?

Rita- Sorry, sorry, still learning your arcane tongue.

Xander- I hate you.

Rita- I don't understand what horses have to do with this, but you do you.

_Suddenly, a shadow flits past the screen and the Sunlions whirl around, going back to back._

Richard- What was that?

Rita- Who's there?

_Suddenly, Nightfeathers burst down from the rafters of the school and engage with the Sunlions._

Rita- Ambush!

Xander- Ugh, I hate surprise attacks. So inconvenient.

_Karasu leaps down to tackle Rita, and the two of them roll across the floor and clash for a bit._

Rita- Nice try, Kobayashi. It's take more than that to-

_Karasu kicks Rita in the gut, disarming her and kicking her back. Nightfeathers swarm on her and carry her off._

Richard- Hey!

_Richard and Xander manage to knock back some of the Nightfeathers and face Karasu._

Xander- Okay, okay. You got us. You want us to buy you a coffee or something?

Richard- Let Rita go. Charlie will kill me if I lose her while he's gone.

_Karasu signals for the other Nightfeathers to leave and starts to walk away themselves._

Richard- Hey! Where are you going?! We don't take prisoners anymore, Karasu.

_Karasu turns around, glancing coldly at Richard and Xander._

Karasu- Charlie's not here anymore… and the Valley is back at war.

_Karasu leaps up into the rafter. Xander and Richard run after them, looking, but they've disappeared._

Richard- What was that…?

Xander- We need to go to the others.

_We cut to Charlotte overlooking the inside of Woodsworth from her office, nervously clicking various keys on her keyboard, her eyes darting around her computer screen. Suddenly, Lauren barges in, causing Charlotte to jump out of her chair and quickly whirl around._

Charlotte- Any news?!

Lauren- Chill, Char. Sit down.

Charlotte- This is _serious_ , Lauren. After what we discovered under the lake, we have to root out every last vestige of corruption in Woodsworth.

Lauren- Besides us?

Charlotte- Obviously.

_Charlotte glances at Lauren and notices her shaking a bit._

Charlotte- Laur… what's going on?

Lauren- I didn't get any news from the school, but… my deputies called me.

_Charlotte walks over to Lauren, pulling her over to a chair and they both sit down on it together._

Charlotte- What happened?

Lauren- They were playing a game with Charlie and he… he attacked them.

Charlotte- _What_?

Lauren- He knocked them all out. Some of them were bleeding!  


Charlotte- Oh my _god_.

Lauren- They're _my_ deputies, Charlotte. I should have been at Forrester for them.

Charlotte- I need you here, Lauren. I don't know exactly what's happening, but I can feel my control over Woodsworth slipping. I need my sheriff.

_Lauren pauses and smiles slightly._

Lauren- Oh, and Char… they sent something else they found when they woke up.

_Lauren shows Charlotte her phone, where there's a picture of a carved snake figurine. Charlotte goes pale._

Charlotte- Did _he_ get Charlie again? Twist him up and brainwash him again?

Lauren- I don't know… but something's going on here.

Charlotte- We need to talk to James and Will about-

_A screaming girl in a lab coat runs into the office._

Scientist- BAD THINGS!

Charlotte and Lauren- WHAT?!

Scientist- The things! The things were y'know'ed!

Lauren- Slow down, slow down.

Charlotte- What happened?

Scientist- Chemistry equipment and chemicals! Someone broke in and stole them!

_Charlotte and Lauren look at each other fearfully._

Charlotte- What could someone do with these chemicals?

Scientist- Make acid, make gas! They could make a bomb if they wanted to!

Charlotte- Take us there. _Now._

_We cut to James and Will sitting in their office looking gravely at their computer screens. AJ and Hannah enter briskly._

AJ- We heard what happened to the deputies!

Hannah- What are we doing?

Will- We gave the deputies a break today. They're at home icing themselves off.

James- We have bigger things to deal with, guys.

Hannah- What _bigger_ things?!

James- Report from the Valley. Karasu and their tribe are attacking.

_Hannah looks a little disheartened._

Hannah- W-what? They wouldn't do that! They were sorry.

Will- We're just reading the reports, Hannah. And we need you to deal with this.

AJ- Us? B-but I shouldn't leave here! I'm most useful here.

_Will glances at James, who sighs and stands up, walking towards the door._

James- Come on, AJ. We need to talk.

_AJ hesitantly follows James, and they shut the door behind them._

James- I need you to do this for me.

AJ- What am I supposed to do? I'm just… I'm just AJ.

_James squirms._

James- Ugh, _why_ are you making me do this?

AJ- Do what?

James- T-tell you how great you are!

_AJ is taken aback._

AJ- What?

James- I can't do diplomacy with the Valley! They're t-too friendly and they hate talking business. That's why I need you to do this. You've got a big heart or, um, whatever.

_James glances away nervously, and when he looks back AJ has wide eyes._

James- Too much?

AJ- Just enough.

_Hannah and Will exit the room._

Hannah- Let's go, AJ.

AJ- What, you didn't need convincing?

Hannah- I just want to talk to Su and see what's up.

Will- Good luck, you guys.

James- Yeah… good luck.

AJ- We'll see you soon.

_AJ and Hannah exit, and James and Will sigh._

Will- So much to deal with… all this stuff coming up at once.

James- There's something bigger going on here. I can feel it.

Will- Ugh, me too, but I don't want to think about it.

James- Well, hopefully now _we_ can at least relax for-

_Becky barges in the door._

Becky- There's angry people here to see you.

_Will sighs._

Will- Of course there are.

_Saheel and Jermaine barge in and pose dramatically._

Saheel- Our little Angel, _imprisoned_!  


Jermaine- And all because of you!

Will- Saheel and Jermaine Farrenburr of Farrenburr Fashion?

James- Who?

Will- Do you live under a _rock_ , Jamie? They're the heads of a multinational fashion _empire_.

James- And… did you say Farrenburr?

Becky- I thought you knew everything about everyone, Orwick.

James- I've been STRESSED lately, okay, Becky?

Saheel- _Excuse_ me!? Pay attention to us!

Jermaine- We're very angry!

Will- I can see that.

James- But I really don't see why you've come to _us_ about your grievances.

_Becky sips loudly on a smoothie as she pulls out her phone and texts someone. We cut to Abby and a Nate walking through the hallways of Forrester when Abby receives a text and gasps._

Abby- Nate! There's scandal afoot! Take me away!

_Abby jumps into Nate's arms and he carries her down the halls. We cut back to James and Will's office._

Saheel- You sent our daughter to certain doom!

James- Well, not certain. Just very likely.

Will- James!

James- But she did much better than we expected! She actually managed to seize the school.

Jermaine- And then she was framed and sent to juvie!

James- Yep, pretty much.

_Will quickly interjects._

Will- And we are just as sad about that as you two are. Not to worry, we avenged her in the war against the Whisperer.

Becky- You know, I'm just _really_ hot right now. I'll just open the window…

_Becky goes to open the window just in time for Abby to crash into the room wearing a wingsuit, Nate crashing in right behind her._

James- Gah!

_Abby jumps to her feet, taking off the wingsuit to reveal a ruffled dress underneath. She pulls out a microphone as Nate gets his camera ready._

Abby- And we are _live_ from James and Will's office, where they appear to be cruelly dismissing the concerns of two lovely parents. Sirs, would you please introduce yourself.

Saheel- Saheel Farrenburr and my husband Jermaine.

_Jermaine sniffs._

Jermaine- Thank you for airing our concerns to the public, young lady.

Will- Abby, _what_ are you doing here?

Abby- I can sniff out a good story wherever it lies, Cross. Not to worry, I'll be very fair to you today.

James- Well, good, because-

Abby- Now, Farrenburrs, could you please describe what exactly went through your head when you learned that your daughter had been used as a sacrificial lamb to the cruel idols we call James and Will?

Jermaine- This life is never what we wanted for Angela!

Saheel- She was so much happier before she got mixed up in all these _politics_!

Abby- I would _love_ to hear more. Why don't you come and sit down with me and we can talk this through.

Jermaine- That sounds wonderful.

_Abby, Nate, and the Farrenburrs exit, leaving James and Will in shock._

Will- So much for being fair.

Becky- I suppose I'll have to help you with this, won't I?

_Becky takes another loud and very long sip from her smoothie. She stops and James starts to speak again only for her to take another long sip._

James- Can we just _go_?

_Becky curls her lip and rolls her eyes, but tosses her smoothie in the trash and walks out, James and Will following close behind. We cut to Maple Valley, where the tribes have set up some sort of council room where Lupa, Amaru, Richard, and Xander are all seated around a large table._

Lupa- And in last week's episode of _The Soap in the Opera_ , Lana told her father that she was leaving to become a dentist and wouldn't carry on the family business!

Richard- Orthodontist, actually.

Lupa- You watch _The Soap in the Opera_.

Richard- I mean, my father puts it _on_ sometimes but I don't _watch_ it.

Xander- Sounds like denial to me.

Richard- Shut it, Zhao.

_AJ and Hannah rush into the room._

Hannah- We came as fast as we could, guys.

AJ- What the _heck_ is going on here? The Valley is normally… well, I don't want to say _chill_ , but it has a certain air of peace despite all the violence.

Amaru- AJ, Hannah! You finally arrived!

Hannah- Where's Su?

Richard- We don't know. But there's been raids happening all over the school and there's nothing to show that it's just for fun.

Lupa- Could just be method acting, but Karasu never attended my lessons.

Xander- And they captured Rita.

Lupa- Well, that's just _rude_. We were going to catch up on _Cookie Warfare_ together.

Richard- Well, the Nightfeathers have clearly whipped up a war in Charlie's absence. We'll simply have to round them up and banish them from the Valley forever.

Amaru- That's not how we do things anymore, Richard. Our ancestors banished, like, five tribes and who knows what chaos they're causing.

Xander- Our town was founded three generations ago.

Amaru- But 'ancestors' just has a better ring to it.

Hannah- Hold on, you guys, it doesn't have to come to that yet. I'm sure Su can talk. I was talking to them just the other day, and they just seemed very stressed about Charlie.

Lupa- Duh! We're all stressed about Charlie! He hasn't been to school for days!

Xander- Even Richard misses him.

Richard- And unfortunately, it's forced me to take leadership of the Sunlions.

AJ- Wait, if Charlie's gone… then who's in charge of Maple Valley now?

_A moment of silence._

Lupa- I have _literally_ no idea.

Hannah- Well, disorganized people need to rally around a common goal.

AJ- Let's go after Karasu and you can make a friendship-boosted plea to their humanity.

Amaru- If that doesn't work, we'll just knock them out and make the friendship-boosted plea after they wake up.

Hannah- Is that how friends treat each other here?

Lupa, Amaru, Richard, Xander- Yep, pretty much.

_We cut to AJ, Hannah, and the Valley kids walking in a dark tunnel together._

Hannah- You're sure _this_ is the right tunnel?

Lupa- Well, _sorry_. They all start to look the same after a while.

Amaru- It's completely empty… where are all the Nightfeathers.

_Xander taps on Lupa's shoulder and she turns around._

Xander- By the way, Richard disappeared like two tunnels ago.

_Everyone looks around for Richard, but he's nowhere to be found._

Lupa- You could have said that EARLIER.

Xander- I tried. Nobody looked back to see me signing.

Lupa- Ugh!

Xander- Also, I'm probably about to be carried off as well to raise the tension.

_A shadow flits by and Xander disappears._

Lupa- Gasp! Our genre-savvy source of sass!

AJ- Run!

_They all run down the tunnel screaming until they finally emerge out into Nightfeather headquarters. They look up to see Karasu standing on a sole hanging platform._

Karasu- Trespassing is punishable, you know.

Hannah- By death?

Karasu- Not yet.

_Amaru immediately nocks and shoots an arrow, which Karasu easily dodges._

AJ- Amaru! I thought we were going to talk first!

Amaru- This is the Valley, AJ. We have our own ways of talking.

Lupa- Come on!

_Amaru and Lupa spring into action, climbing up the various platforms._

Hannah- Ugh, come on, AJ!

AJ- Is there an _elevator_ somewhere around here?

Hannah- Just come with me!  


_We cut to Charlotte and Lauren entering the chemistry lab, followed by the nervous scientist (let's call her Eileen). The lab is totally wrecked with various beakers broken and an empty cupboard._

Eileen- The break in was just this morning. Whoever it was just came in, took what they wanted, and left as soon as the alarm went off.

Charlotte- And the broken vials?

Eileen- Well, we think that was just an accident. It looks like as they were sweeping around looking for what they wanted, they happened to break them.

Lauren- Sounds like whoever stole these would have to be big… really big.

Eileen- I… I suppose so…

Charlotte- Get out of here.

_Eileen leaves, and Charlotte and Lauren examine the scene._

Lauren- So many things all happening so fast…

Charlotte- And somebody that big… it has to be Edward.

Lauren- What's the plan? I can go punch more random people until they tell me something.

Charlotte- Love the enthusiasm.

Lauren- You really don't.

Charlotte- I was trying to be nice, but okay.

Lauren- Honestly, it was just unnerving. Stick to business and sarcasm.

Charlotte- Good name for my memoir. Anyway, we have to shut all this down before it can get started, and that means luring Edward out.

Lauren- And we're going to do that how?

Charlotte- There's only one thing more tempting than _some_ explosive chemicals…

Lauren- _More_ explosive chemicals!

Charlotte- Precisely.

_We cut to Charlotte and Lauren standing in the forest along with a cart of chemicals._

Charlotte- Alright, we raided the chemistry team's emergency supplies to make this, so it had better work.

Lauren- You set up all the traps we talked about in such a short amount of time!

Charlotte- You think _I_ did that? No, I just temporarily employed the woodworking team.

Lauren- Employed?

Charlotte- Enslaved.

Lauren- And you're sure they work?

Charlotte- Oh, no. You're testing them.

Lauren- What? I'm not-

Charlotte- I'll give you a shiny new paintball gun if you run through here in ten seconds.

Lauren- Shiny?

_Lauren immediately starts running, and we see various shots of her being hit by falling logs, having darts shot at her, and falling into a pit. Charlotte peers down at her._

Charlotte- Great job, Lauren.

Lauren- Now help me out of this pit!  


Charlotte- Ew. I'm not climbing down there.

Lauren- Did you bring a rope?

Charlotte- No.

Lauren- A ladder?

Charlotte- No.

Lauren- A miniature portable elevator?

Charlotte- Oh, right, I forgot about that.

_Charlotte pulls a metal box out and throws it into the pit. It unfolds into an elevator._

Lauren- I was kidding!

Charlotte- Oh, okay then.

_She presses a button and the elevator folds back up into her hand. Charlotte walks away._

Lauren- Wait! Hold on! Char!

_We cut to Abby interviewing Saheel and Jermaine on a couch._

Abby- Wow. That must be _so hard_ for you two. Talk about your experience.

_She hands Jermaine a tissue, despite the giant stack of tissues piled by him._

Jermaine- Well, one moment we were flying over the Mediterranean in our private jet, and the next moment we're getting a call from our au pair that _our_ Angel has been accused of _theft_!

_He breaks off._

Jermaine- I'm sorry, it just makes me so emotional.

Saheel- Wipe your eyes, dear, I've got this.

_Saheel snaps his fingers and the camera zooms in on him._

Saheel- It is an _utter_ outrage that anyone would think that our Angel needs to steal. She is well provided for and the only reason the warden wouldn't let her out is because we didn't let her model for us in college! She didn't have the right facial structure, okay!

_Saheel breaks off._

Saheel- I'm sorry, it just makes me so emotional.

Abby- Which part?

Saheel- All of it!

_We see Becky, James, and Will watching it on various screens as they run down the hallways._

James- Ugh, _where_ is the newspaper room?

_They open a door where a group of kids are working on a giant mech suit._

Becky- Nope, that's the robotics club.

Will- Doing great, guys!

_They open another door where a student is painting the Mona Lisa with James' face._

Becky- Art club.

Artist- What do you think, sir?

James- Not bad.

_Becky points down the hallway to a door with various pictures of Abby on the door, as well as a cardboard cutout of herself posing with a giant quill._

Becky- There.

Will- Honestly, I don't know how we missed that.

_They rush up to the door only to be stopped by guards._

Guard- Sorry. No one enters during interview time.

James- I'm _James Orwick_! This is _my_ school!

Will- Ahem.

James- Our school!

Guard- Oh, I'm sorry. I don't see your face all over the door. We've been personally hired by Ms. Quill.

James- Argh!

_Will pulls James aside._

Will- I've got this.

James- Where's Becky?

Will- I sent her to handle this. I'm like, ninety percent sure she does mercenary work in her free time.

James- Should we be concerned?

Will- I think the less we know, the better.

James- And us?

Will- We're the distraction.

_Cut to James and Will walking in front of the guards in salsa gear._

Guard- I told you, you're not allowed in.

Will- Oh, we're just here to entertain!

_Will elbows an exasperated James._

James- Ugh… we are Jaime and Guillermo, the dynamic salsa duo.

Guard- What…?

_Will presses a button on his phone and salsa music begins to play. We cut to Becky dropping into the newspaper office from a vent, a smile on her face. She takes out her dart gun as some guards spot her._

Guard- Excuse me, who are-

_Becky fires at both of them, then shoots them both again for good measure._

Becky- The name's Becky Poller.

_A pause._

Becky- Probably should say my name _before_ I knock them unconscious. Whatever.

_Becky strolls throughout the rest of the office, firing darts into various guards and gassing out entire rooms. One guard manages to get close to her and she actually manages to take him on, elbowing him in the face and stomping on his foot with her heel. She takes a moment to send a text, and we cut to Abby checking her phone._

Abby- What's this? We have received new photos from an anonymous leaker that appear to be past documents from James and Will! And what's this? It appears to be a contingency plan in case Angela failed in her takeover of Woodsworth! They were already planning for her defeat!

Saheel- Those _monsters_!

Jermaine- Ugh, I need to micro-faint.

_Jermaine faints for two seconds before snapping awake. James and Will nervously glance at the screen as they salsa dance outside. They whisper to each other._

James- We _need_ to get in there and set this straight.

Will- I kn-

_The door slams open and Becky shoots all the guards with darts, curling her lip at James and Will's outfits._

Becky- Really? That was your idea of a distraction?

Will- It was just an excuse to get him in cute clothes.

James- I-

Becky- Oh, can it. Can we finish this?

_We cut to Abby interviewing Saheel and Jermaine when James, Will and Becky run in._

James- Enough of this! Let us explain!

Abby- Ugh, who let the dictators into the studio?

Saheel- You!

Jermaine- Dramatic couple's pose!

_Saheel and Jermaine get up and pose dramatically._

Will- I can't believe you're saying these things about us! We cared about Angela!

Abby- Really?

James- Okay, it took a while, but still!

Jermaine- Our Angel would _never_ get wrapped up in politics!

Will- If you think that's true, then you didn't know her at all!

_We briefly cut to Angela watching this all on a screen. Someone knocks on the door._

Cellmate- Come on! Let me in!

Angela- Shush! My dads are arguing with my bosses!

_Back to the studio._

Will- We're the ones that have been spending time with your daughter and visiting her. You've been on a flight around the world!

Saheel- Speaking of which, is that our Sizzling Salsa line?

Will- It is! You like it?

James- Shush! Your daughter wasn't an 'Angel'… she was born to be a dictator. And that's why we liked her.

Jermaine- I…

_Abby leaps in front of the screen._

Abby- New headline! Heads of Farrenburr Fashion secretly out of touch with their daughter? Fashion icons or neglectful parents? Stay tuned!

Becky- Ugh, enough.

_Becky pulls the plug on Nate's camera._

Abby- Hey!  


Becky- Out.

Abby- What? But-

_Becky gestures with her head, and Abby narrows her eyes and exits, gesturing for Nate to follow her. Becky exits too, leaving James and Will alone with Jermaine and Saheel._

Saheel- We love Angela… you believe that, don't you?

Will- We do… and she does, too.

James- We're just as angry about this whole situation as you are, but we decided to turn it into productivity, not hate.

Jermaine- Darling… maybe they're right. There has to be something better we can be doing with our time.

_Saheel lights up._

Saheel- I've got it! A line of prison fashion! A celebration of our daughter's new lifestyle!  


Jermaine- Brilliant!

_Jermaine kisses Saheel._

James- I really don't-

Will- Let them have this.

_Saheel and Jermaine run out, and we cut to Becky on the phone._

Becky- Yeah, it didn't work out. I did my best, though, give me credit.

_A pause._

Becky- You've got something in the works? Sounds perfect to me as long as you get me what I need for our little plan.

_We cut to Nightfeather headquarters, where Lupa, Amaru, AJ, and Hannah are engaged with various Nightfeather soldiers. Karasu leaps down to spar with Lupa, and the two are fairly evenly matched._

Lupa- What are you _doing_ , Su?!

Karasu- Don't _call_ me that!

Hannah- Su!

_Karasu looks over, and Lupa rolls her eyes._

Lupa- Oh, come on! Give her the angry retort!

Amaru- Lupa! Duck!  


_Lupa ducks as Amaru fires an arrow at Karasu, but Karasu leans to the side and it still hits Lupa._

Lupa- Watch it!

Amaru- I'm trying to help you!

_Karasu jumps up to a higher platform._

Karasu- I'm not doing anything wrong here!  


Lupa- You're breaching the new peace! It's very uncool.

Karasu- That peace is over.

Amaru- What are you talking about?

Karasu- We fought to decide on the future of the Valley, and _Charlie_ won. Without him… we're back at war.

AJ- Well, then, where's Charlie?

_Karasu shrugs._

Karasu- Your guess is as good as mine.

Hannah- Don't listen to them, guys. They're just a little mistaken, that's all.

_Her efforts are in vain as Amaru and Lupa eye each other._

Lupa- Without Charlie, who's going to stop your Biters from stealing my stage makeup?

Amaru- It was one time!

_Karasu jumps down and Amaru fires an arrow that narrowly misses Lupa again._

Lupa- You did that on purpose!

Amaru- I did not!

Karasu- War is normal at the Valley… why fight it?

_AJ pulls out a paintball pistol and aims it at Karasu._

AJ- Enough!

Karasu- And they brought _guns_!

Hannah- AJ! That was for emergencies!  


AJ- This _is_ an emergency!  


Amaru- You betrayed Valley trust!

_He aims an arrow but Lupa chucks a spear into his stomach, knocking him back._

Amaru- Lupa!

Lupa- Oh, stop acting like you're Mr. Innocent.

_Lupa and Amaru start advancing towards each other while Karasu continues to ascend. Hannah and AJ give chase._

Hannah- Wait! Su! We can talk about this!

Karasu- What is there to talk about? The peacetime is done for, Hannah.

Hannah- Well, it doesn't have to be! You could always establish an actual treaty instead of relying upon a figurehead with little actual power to keep peace!

AJ- Yeah, what she said!

Karasu- Ugh. Did you _have_ to bring him with you?

Hannah- He's very endearing if you give him the chance! But that's not the point! Come down here and let's sort this out.

_Karasu hesitates but does jump down._

Hannah- Okay, good. Now can we-

_Suddenly, Karasu kicks AJ of the edge. Hannah screams, but thankfully AJ's caught by a net that springs up at the base of headquarters. Hannah turns around just in time for Karasu to kick her off as well, catching her hand._

Karasu- See you around, Goldenshire.

Hannah- Why are you doing this?! The peace was good for everyone!  


_A pause._

Karasu- Sure… but wasn't it a little boring?

_Karasu lets Hannah drop down as well and disappears into a tunnel. Hannah lands next to a shocked AJ._

AJ- Where's Lupa and Amaru?

Hannah- Preparing for war, probably…

_She looks at AJ, steely eyed._

Hannah- We're going to be here for longer than we thought.

_We cut to Lauren and Charlotte hiding in some bushed, along with some Woodsworth troops. The scientists along with Eileen push the cart along with forest, attempting to whistle casually._

Lauren- You sure our usual gear will do the trick? We could always talk to Vestor.

Charlotte- You know he doesn't let us use his stuff outside the café, and unfortunately I know from firsthand experience that his security is too good for us to steal anything. Now shush, our brilliant trap has almost activated.

Eileen- Gee, it sure is nice to transport these VALUABLE GOODS down this unguarded path!

Lauren- I wonder why she didn't join the drama club.

Charlotte- You're kidding, right?

Lauren- Well, I was trying out your whole dry sarcasm thing, but evidently I should just stick to my lane.

Charlotte- Should I be flattered?

Lauren- You should-

_A screaming Eileen flies past them into another bush._

Eileen- AH!

Charlotte- Get ready!

_They leap out of the bush with their troops to see the scientists tossed around the forest and a hulking figure standing above the cart: Edward._

Lauren- I knew it!

Charlotte- And I also knew it!

Lauren and Charlotte- Edward!

_Edward growls and picks up the cart with one hand, turning around to walk away._

Lauren- You sure I can't get in a few rounds before we trigger this thing?

Charlotte- You wouldn't _last_ a few rounds.

_Edward starts to walk away, and Charlotte pulls some string by the tree that activates a complex mechanism. Lauren and Charlotte watch as Edward walks into their trap. The log swings towards him, but he walks right through it, the log splitting in half as he strolls past._

Charlotte- That’s literally impossible.

Lauren- I learned that if you fail physics class, the laws of physics don’t apply to you.

Charlotte- Actually, interesting fact. I looked up Edward's records and he had straight A's.

Lauren- Really intriguing, but not the time.

_Edward is hit by the darts, but they have literally no effect._

Lauren- Okay, time to step in.

Charlotte- Hold on!

_Edward steps into the pit and disappears from sight with a thud. Charlotte and Lauren sigh._

Charlotte- I told you the pit was a good idea!

Lauren- I might have agreed if you had helped dig it. I think power's going to your head.

_The girls hear a noise and look over to see a new hole bursting out of the ground as Edward burrows his way out, covered in dirt._

Lauren- You're kidding me.

Charlotte- Okay, _now_ we step in.

_The troops all run at Edward, firing paintballs that he promptly ignores. Lauren scales a tree and snaps off a branch, slamming it over Edward's head as she jumps down. Meanwhile, Charlotte slides under Edward and grabs the cart, trying to pull it away._

Charlotte- What are you doing with these chemicals?! Where's your little boss!

_Edward pulls hard, hitting Charlotte into a tree._

Lauren- Char!

_Lauren takes off to help Charlotte as Edward shakes off the troops and begins running away._

Lauren- Are you okay?

Charlotte- Unimportant. You let the target get away.

Lauren- Well, _sorry_ for caring about you.

_Charlotte sharply inhales for a second, then hides it behind an eye roll._

Charlotte- Just go with the backup plan.

_Lauren loads a chemical into her paintball and aims it. She fires, and the paintball arcs up and lands in one of the vials in the cart as Edward is running away. Instantly, the vial starts to melt and eventually the entire cart is liquified._

Lauren- Anticlimactic.

Charlotte- Intelligent plans often are.

Lauren- Should we go after him?

Charlotte- The forest is too dense, Laur. Better to shore up our troops and defend the school. Let's get back and hope no one took over while we were gone.

_They dust themselves off and stand up, and we cut to Edward looking at the liquified remains of the cart. His phone rings and he picks it up. Charlie's voice speaks from the other end._

Charlie- Ouch, that looked rough, Eddy. Hope none of you got liquified.

_Edward grunts disdainfully._

Charlie- Just a joke, bud. But that an excellent distraction from you. Applause all around. I knew they'd freak out over a potential bomb! But with what we got from the chemistry lab and what we just stole from the botany club…

_We see Charlie in a hoodie and sunglasses on the roof of Forrester, holding some binoculars in his hands and his phone in the other._

Charlie- It'll be quite potent.

_Becky strolls up beside him and examines some plants he has by his feet as Charlie hangs up and turns around._

Charlie- What can you cook up with this, Ms. Poller?

_End episode._


	71. Rule the School S3E13

**Episode Thirteen: The Orwick-Cross Campaign**

Synopsis: James and Will face their greatest fear: democracy. Charlotte and Lauren go on a stakeout in the woods, and AJ and Hannah ally with the Sunlions.

_We open on Xander, Richard, and Rita in a Nightfeather cell._

Richard- I don't suppose you know how to get out of here, Zhao?

Xander- They've changed security measures since I left the Nightfeathers, unfortunately.

Rita- Don't be silly, Xander, we all know unicorns aren't real.

_Richard and Xander stare at Rita._

Rita- I'm working on it, okay?

_Suddenly, the cell door opens and Karasu walks in, backed up by an entourage._

Karasu- Richard, you're coming with me.

Richard- Not happening.

_Rita leaps at Karasu, but they kick her in the head and she falls to the ground._

Rita- Ow…

Xander- What are you doing, Karasu…

Karasu- I'm taking the best path for the Valley.

_They point at Richard, and their soldiers run over to grab him and drag him away._

Rita- Richard!  


Xander- You don't have to pretend to be sad.

Rita- Oh, okay. Bye.

Richard- Ouch.

_The cell door shuts, and we cut to Karasu pushing Richard into a room, where a figure is standing._

Richard- Hello?

_Charlie turns around and Richard's eyes widen._

Richard- Sir?!

Charlie- Good to see you, Richard.

Richard- Oh, you finally decided to call me by my name?

_Charlie's eye twitches._

Charlie- Sorry, I meant Richie.

Richard- It's…it's good to see you again.

_Charlie pulls Richard into a hug._

Richard- Where have you been?

Charlie- Don't worry about that, Richie.

_He turns to whisper in Richard's ear._

Charlie- I need you to help me with something.

Richard- Sir, the Valley's at war. We need to-

Charlie- Shush. If you just trust me, the Valley is gonna end up so much better off…

_Charlie pats Richard on the shoulders and we cut to James and Will watching Abby on TV in their office._

Abby- Welcome back to the Forrester Fire, my loyal viewers! Today's program is brought to you by Farrenburr Fashion, and we have an exclusive interview with company heir Angela Farrenburr today!

_Angela pops up on screen._

Abby- So how's your life been lately, Angie?

Angela- Not great to be honest, but-

_Angela's face disappears._

Abby- And there you have it folks, Angela Farrenburr is absolutely _miserable_ and it's all James and Will's fault.

Will- I thought we resolved this.

James- I guess we just made up with Angela's dads. Abby Quill's a different story.

Becky- Can I come in or are you two making out?

Will- Not yet-

James- COME IN!

_Becky opens the door._

Becky- Ugh, why did _I_ have to left alone with you two?

Will- You can pretend that you don't love us.

Becky- The only thing fun about being here is watching you try and climb your way out the PR pit you've dug for yourselves.

James- Well, it's also _your_ job to help us with that.

Becky- I thought I was just here for filing paperwork and fetching coffee.

Will- That too.

James- Will! We're on TV again!

Becky- You say that like it's a good thing.

_They look over at the TV where Abby is talking._

Abby- Approval ratings for James and Will are at an all-time high _despite_ the efforts of certain journalists, but the Forrester Fire just reports what we hear! In celebration of our leaders finally meeting the bare minimum, the Forrester Fire is planning a special celebration in collaboration with James and Will! Stay tuned and spread the Fire!

Will- The Forrester Fire is doing what now?

James- Will, did you arrange this without me?

Will- No, never! I ask you what to _wear_ in the morning!

Becky- Hey, morons! Abby wants to see you in her office.

James- Of course she does.

_We cut to James, Will, and Becky sitting in front of a smiling Abby._

James- YOU'RE HAVING A _WHAT_?

Abby- I know it's probably a foreign word to you, James, but it's pronounced 'election.'

Will- Don't SAY that! Democracy scares Jamie!  


_James curls up into Will, and Becky snickers._

Abby- I know you're probably objecting to it, but the people are on your side anyway. This will just be a little show to solidify your power.

Will- Since when do you care about solidifying our power?

_Abby just smiles._

James- Call it off.

Abby- Oh, that's impossible now. We already put up all the posters and the students are anticipating it. You really want that blow to your PR right now?

_James squeaks in shock and starts to speak, but Will stops him, turning a bit cold._

Will- We could have you locked up for that, Abby Quill. I had your predecessor locked up too. You seen him since then?

_Abby starts to look a bit nervous, but Becky shoots her a glance from the back and Abby hardens herself._

Abby- Look, Mommy's Little Dictators… back when the Fire was just spouting pro-regime propaganda, you gave us the money and power we needed to get an audience. And even if you don't like what we're saying now…

_Abby leans in._

Abby- I've still got that audience in the palm of my hand.

_There's a moment of silence._

James- Who would this election even be against?

_A voice speaks from behind Abby as the door opens, a boy in a blue suit._

Pierre- Me.

_Abby grins._

Abby- Alright, I have an appointment coming up. Get out of my office.

James- Hold on, we're not done-

Abby- You have a campaign to prepare, boys.

Will- Come on.

_Will grabs James and they leave, but James drops some papers on the way._

James- Becky, pick those up!

Becky- Yes, sir…

_Becky bends to pick up the papers, but lingers in Abby's office._

Becky- Nice speech.

Abby- I should write that down for later. I've been considering getting into fiction writing.

Becky- You trained your guy well?

_Abby glances at Pierre._

Abby- He knows what to say.

Becky- What are you getting out of this, Quill?

Abby- Sure, the Forrester Fire's the primary newspaper of _Forrester._ Soon, I'll be running a multi-school media conglomerate.

_Becky picks up the papers._

Becky- To climbing.

Abby- To climbing.

Pierre- To climbing.

Abby- Shut up, Pierre.

_We cut to Charlotte and Lauren entering a classroom full of scared children, backed up by several guards._

Charlotte- How's history class?

_A tense pause._

Teacher- Actually, it's going super great!

Lauren- That was a rhetorical _question_!

_Lauren gestures and the guards drag out the teacher screaming._

Charlotte- We've acquired some intel that _someone_ in this classroom is part of the cell currently known as the Hidden Whispers.

Lauren- We already know who, so just come forwards now… I'll be gentle.

Charlotte- Don't lie, Lauren.

Lauren- Alright. It's gonna hurt, but it'll hurt a lot more if you waste our time.

Student- The Hidden Whispers? What are you talking about?

Student Two- This is authoritarian!

Charlotte- I don't have the patience for this. You know who you are and we know who you are. Come forwards now or we'll take this entire class along with you.

Students- What? No! Whoever it is, just come forwards!

_The students are in pandemonium for a couple seconds. Charlotte rolls her eyes._

Lauren- We done here?

Charlotte- I think so.

Student- What?

Charlotte- Oh, we didn't actually know who it was. Lauren, knock them all out.

_The students stand up, but Lauren's eye glints and she draws her paintball pistol, shooting everyone in the classroom in a few seconds. Charlotte gestures for the guards._

Charlotte- Ugh, just take them. We'll question them later.

_Charlotte and Lauren turn to walk through the halls of Woodsworth, where there's a noticeably larger military presence._

Charlotte- That's the third classroom today.

Lauren- If I didn't know better, I'd say you're getting paranoid.

Charlotte- We have to rip out the enemy, roots and all.

Lauren- Speaking of roots, you heard the botany club got robbed?

Charlotte- I'm the one that forwarded that email to you, Lauren.

Lauren- Should we be worrying?

Charlotte- You're not already worrying?

Lauren- You're recruiting more and more of the student body into the military, Char. You should ask for backup from James and Will.

Charlotte- We can handle this, Lauren. They have enough on our plate without us warning them of a potential Whisperer comeback.

Lauren- You _have_ told them what's going on though… right?

_Charlotte glances to the side._

Lauren- Charlotte!

Charlotte- I will. But we don't even know what exactly we're up against yet. I'll call them once we enough information.

Lauren- How's that going?

Charlotte- I've had my team on double time reading every text message and listening to every call in these walls. They just keep leading us to these classrooms where there _might_ be a traitor.

Lauren- Well, _I_ know someone that would know more…

Charlotte- We don't have any leads on Edward, Lauren.

Lauren- But we do know where he's been going. Those break ins were consistent.

Charlotte- How will we know where he's going to strike? Woodsworth's a big school and he moves surprisingly fast.

Lauren- We're only having trouble because we're trying to stop him, not prevent him.

Charlotte- What did you have in mind?

Lauren- My dad used to take me on hunting trips. When your prey's being shy, you stake out.

Charlotte- A stakeout?

Lauren- Small group, just you and me. We post the guards on the side of school facing town so he'll come through the forest.

Charlotte- It sounds… plausible. You just come up with that?

Lauren- You hear 'tactics', I hear 'creative ways to end up punching someone'. It was easy to think of with the right mindset.

Charlotte- I'll arrange it. Oh, and Lauren… have you heard from Charlie at all?

Lauren- A bit. Some texts. Nothing major. He's still taking a break from school but he's feeling better,

_Charlotte smiles._

Charlotte- I'm glad he's doing well.

_We cut to AJ and Hannah with their small contingent of Forrester troops inside Maple Valley._

Hannah- You called James and Will for more troops?

AJ- I tried. The military's being a bit uncooperative without Lauren there and the deputies are still on a rain check.

Hannah- Why did _we_ have to be the ones that got sent to the violent school?

AJ- It's okay. Maybe more troops aren't the solution to this.

Hannah- Well, we were sent here for diplomacy, so that's what we're going to try first.

AJ- We did _try_ it.

Hannah- Maybe we just need to connect with the tribes more. Remind them of their friendship.

AJ- I mean, to them, friendship and war aren't mutually exclusive.

Hannah- True…

AJ- God, where's Charlie when we need him!

Hannah- AJ, we can handle this. Charlie will come back when he's ready.

_AJ sighs._

AJ- You're right.

_There's a crash on the door and Lupa's voice can be heard through._

Lupa- Open up, foreigners!

AJ- Hold the door!  


_The troops move to push on the door._

Hannah- Hey, Lupa, we're just trying to-

Lupa- You come in here with your fancy guns and your _agendas_ and think you can tell us whether we should fight?

AJ- We're just trying to keep this school together!  


_Lupa crashes on the door again, but then there's sounds of combat outside._

Hannah- What's going on out there?

_It goes on for a bit more, and then there's a knock at the door._

AJ- Who's there?

Richard- It's the Sunlions. We drove them away.

Hannah- The Sunlions?

Richard- I'm leading them in Charlie's absence. We want this school united as much as you do. I think we can work together.

_AJ and Hannah look at each other, then at their meager troops._

AJ- Do we open it?

Hannah- We don't have other options. We can't fight on our own.

AJ- So we are fighting? What happened to diplomacy.

_Hannah shrugs._

Hannah- I guess we have to speak their language.

_They open the doors and Richard and the Sunlions walk in. He shakes hands with AJ and Hannah._

AJ- So you're really here to help?

Richard- Of course. To begin with, you need to lose the guns.

Hannah- They're our only advantage here.

AJ- Plus, mine has a built-in fan that's a _lifesaver_.

Richard- The others will never listen to you if you keep them. I can provide you with adequate weaponry.

_AJ sighs._

AJ- I guess it's our best move. We're not trying to conquer this place.

Hannah- Too much work.

Richard- Excellent. Now, there's a little skirmish happening in the middle of the school. With my troops driving the Redclaws towards it, it's bound to be a big battle soon enough.

AJ- And that's good _how_?

Hannah- Everyone we need to talk to will be there…

Richard- Exactly. Deep down, I know that Amaru, Lupa, and Karasu liked having the school united too. Karasu was just having one of their power-hungry fits and it threw everyone off, especially with Charlie gone.

Hannah- You'll help us survive long enough to get our points across?

Richard- We'll certainly try.

_AJ and Hannah huddle._

Hannah- Think we can trust them?

AJ- I'll bring a small gun, just in case.

Hannah- No!

AJ- But… I need to protect us if things get out of hand.

Hannah- First of all, I'm a better shot than you. Second of all, James sent you here because of your heart. We're not doing ten backup plans and mutually beneficial deals. We're reaching out to them _genuinely._

AJ- God, I've been spending too much time in the office with James and Will.

Hannah- I like you better when you're out of it.

_Hannah smiles at AJ and he flushes red. They face Richard again._

AJ- Let's go.

_We cut to James, Will and Becky watching the news as Abby interviews Pierre._

Abby- The election is _on_ folks! Thanks so much to James and Will for approving this!  


James- 'Approving'.

Will- Well, technically we did.

James- Shut up, I'm venting.

Abby- Now just who's running against the incumbent party? Today I have with me the intelligent, charismatic, and dare I say foxy new candidate, Pierre DeRoe!

Pierre- It's a pleasure to be here, everyone. Someone has to stand up to the dastardly regime James and Will are running.

Abby- Pierre, I think I speak for all of us when I say _thank you_ for your bravery. What inspired you to step up this election.

Pierre- Well, I'm the President of the French Culture Club, and the French have a bit of a history of striking at authority. I've always respected that, and the recent scandals in the administration was just my breaking point.

James- This is treason. We should arrest him, Quill, and her whole crew.

Will- Remember, James. PR. We need to beat him fair and square.

Abby- You really are a visionary, sir. It is an _absolute honor_ to be in your presence.

Pierre- Oh please, it's nothing much.

_Abby swoons._

Abby- Oh, and he's humble too! Pierre, how would you be a better leader than the current administration?

Pierre- I would be a leader for the people, Abby.

Abby- And what exactly does that mean?

Pierre- You know the people?

Abby- Abstractly.

Pierre- You know me?

Abby- Graciously.

Pierre- You understand the concept of leadership?

Abby- I've watched some motivational speakers.

Pierre- So basically, that!

Abby- Wow! He is _such_ an academic, folks. If you didn't understand that explanation, then you're dumb and you shouldn't even vote!

James- He's not even answering anything!  


Will- I have to admit, though, Abby is making him sound appealing.

James- Ugh!  


Becky- Relax. Maybe he'll let you guys be interns when he's in charge.

_Will and James glare at Becky and stand up._

James- Come on, Will. We are going to make them love us or die trying.

Will- Relax. Maybe it'll be easier now that we've actually starting changing our policies.

_Becky seems a little surprised._

Becky- You have?

James- We gave some more funding to honors programs and started a merit-based program for longer school lunches.

Becky- Never thought you guys had it in you to actually change.

Will- Well, we couldn't have done it if we didn't make you carry around all the paperwork.

Becky- Yeah, thanks for that.

_There's a pause._

James- Becky, want to come help us with writing this speech? You have experience manipulating a school.

_Becky hesitates for a second, seemingly actually feeling something._

Becky- Only if you pay me.

James- Thirty dollars. Done.

_Becky follows James and Will into the side room, and her expression is unreadable. We cut to Charlotte and Lauren sitting down in the forest together on a log, waiting._

Charlotte- You set up the perimeter?

Lauren- Yes.

Charlotte- You told them who they're looking out for?

Lauren- Yes.

Charlotte- You-

Lauren- I handled it, Char, okay? Chill out.

Charlotte- I, um… okay.

_There's a pause._

Lauren- So… why haven't you been talking to James and Will?

Charlotte- I just have a lot on my plate, okay!?

Lauren- I get it. And I'm here, but I can't help with this all this political stuff. Not my specialty.

Charlotte- Don't say that. You're the best at what you do.

Lauren- You're smart, aren't you Char? Don't get hung up on pride. We're all on the same team.

Charlotte- I know that. It's just…

Lauren- Just what?

Charlotte- Okay, so we agree James and Will are ridiculous, right?

Lauren- Well, yeah.

Charlotte- And I know I shouldn't care, but they put their trust in me and-

Lauren- You want to make them proud.

Charlotte- Ew. It hurts to hear.

Lauren- They're ridiculous, Char, but they're your friends.

Charlotte- By contractual obligation.

Lauren- Sure.

Charlotte- I just don't want them to regret giving Woodsworth to me.

Lauren- It's natural.

Charlotte- Ugh, stop being reassuring. Sometimes people just want to mope.

Lauren- Not you?

Charlotte- Oh?

Lauren- You're Charlotte March. You don't have time for moping. You're an efficient dictatorship machine and you're gonna solve this thing… with a little help.

_Charlotte sighs._

Charlotte- You know me too well. It's annoying.

_Lauren chuckles, and there's a pause._

Charlotte- Lauren?

Lauren- Yeah?

Charlotte- Do you really think he's back? The Whisperer?

Lauren- I'm not sure. Truthfully.

Charlotte- These Hidden Whispers… they're using his symbols.

Lauren- Doesn't mean they're working for him. When you're famous… or infamous, your legend gets passed down. Everyone that met my dad remembered the words on the back of his's jacket. It said 'Born to Fly.' Every time he would make a leap on his bike, the crowd would chant it…

_Lauren gets lost in her memories._

Lauren- Even up to that last crash, they were chanting it. Born to Fly…

Charlotte- Lauren…

Lauren- And after that, tons of stunt drivers started using those words. He's still flying after all these years…

Charlotte- I… I know you don't like talking about your dad.

_Lauren pauses, then stands up._

Lauren- Eh, it was for the sake of an analogy. Come on. We should hide and get ready.

_Charlotte stands up and follows Lauren. As she walks, her eye catches the words on the back of Lauren's jacket: 'Born to Fly." We cut to AJ and Hannah walking with Richard and Sunlions through the halls of Maple Valley, treading carefully._

AJ- And you're _sure_ you guys can handle this?

Richard- It's honestly offensive how much you're doubting us.

Hannah- Well, you're not exactly Charlie.

Richard- Hey!

AJ- Quiet, guys! I think I hear the battle!

_They're silent as the sounds of clashing become clearer and clearer, turning the corner and right into the middle of a major clash between the Nightfeathers, Jadebiters, and Redclaws. Lupa duels with Amaru as she orders her troops._

Lupa- Redclaws! Aggressive kickline!

_The Redclaws group up and advance while kickstepping, destroying all in their path. Julio is knocked out during the attack and Amaru is enraged._

Amaru- Those are my troops!

Lupa- Yeah, that's the idea, dimwit.

Amaru- It still hurts my feelings!

_Karasu appears behind Amaru and kicks him to the ground._

Karasu- You've got a lot more than your feelings to worry about.

_Hannah grabs AJ's arm and pulls him forwards._

Hannah- Hey! Stop it!

_All heads turn towards them and AJ and Hannah gulp._

AJ- Hey, guys.

Lupa- Gasp! Intruders!

Amaru- At least they dropped the guns.

Hannah- Told you that was a good idea.

AJ- You win, you win.

Richard- Get the foreigners!  


Hannah- Um, what?

_AJ and Hannah turn around to see Richard and the Sunlions drawing their weapons, the unconscious bodies of the other Forrester troops already in front of them._

AJ- Bad twist. BAD TWIST.

_Richard and Karasu eye each other._

Richard- Sorry, Forrestites. It's just a matter of course.

Hannah- Why can I never trust British people?

AJ- Run!

_AJ and Hannah run for it as the Valley forces crash around, fighting each other as they also chase the two of them._

Lupa- I'm gonna get them!

Amaru- No, I am!

_Lupa chucks her spear and it flies past Hannah's face._

Hannah- AAAAAH!

AJ- AAAAAAH!  


Hannah and AJ- AAAAAAH!

_They spring through the hallway, followed by a rain of arrows and spears._

AJ- Hannah, do something!  


Hannah- What am _I_ supposed to do?

AJ- Check your purse!

_Hannah rummages in her purse and pulls out a box labelled with "Those Metal Marble Things in Every Movie."_

AJ- Perfect!

Hannah- They always work flawlessly!

_Hannah pours out those metal marble things in every movie, and the Valley kids proceed to fall on them._

Richard- Oh no! Our only weakness!

Amaru- Slapstick for the purposes of comedy!

Lupa- Tripping noises! Tripping noises!

AJ- Whew.

_AJ and Hannah round the corner only to find Karasu waiting for them._

Hannah- …hey, Su.

Karasu- Hey.

_Karasu immediately attacks them and AJ and Hannah pull out their own swords to defend themselves._

Karasu- Just give up. That'll make this a lot easier.

_They kick AJ into a wall and leap on Hannah, pressing their blades together._

Hannah- Hey! We can work this out if you'll just _listen_!

Karasu- Your mouth is moving, but words aren't our language, Hannah.

_Hannah growls._

Hannah- Then how's _this_.

_She kicks Karasu in the stomach, sending them reeling back. AJ smacks them over the head with his sword over and over until Hannah pulls him away._

Hannah- Leave them. Come on!

_Karasu growls and gets up only to see the rest of the Valley charging at them, and they're promptly trampled. Hannah pulls AJ into a side classroom in the hallway, slamming the door and locking it tight. They collapse onto the floor, panting._

Hannah- Ugh…

AJ- That… could have gone better.

Hannah- No kidding.

_There's a pause._

AJ- I miss the office.

_We cut to James, Will, and Becky walking down the hallway._

James- Thanks for your help, Becky.

Will- The background was a particularly nice touch.

Becky- Money brings out the best in me.

Will- Quill, twelve-o-clock.

James- That's literally right in front of me, Will. I can see her.

_Abby and Pierre walk down the hall towards them._

Abby- Hey, guys! Pierre, say hello!

Pierre- …hello. How are you-

Abby- Did I say to say anything else?

Pierre- I don't-

Abby- Shut it! Your mouth is moving and I want it to not. Your vocal cords are vibrating and I want to stop that. In a word… be quiet.

James- That's two words.

Abby- You shut up too, Orwick.

Will- You don't give us orders!

Abby- Oh, right. Forgot about that.

James- Leading your puppet candidate somewhere?

Abby- I'm offended! Pierre is not a puppet! We couldn't afford an actual puppet and he was the next best thing.

_James and Will look at Pierre and he's just staring with a blank smile, but his eyes seem a bit tearful._

James- Whatever. You're cordially not invited to our speech.

Abby- Oh, joy! Then who's covering it?

Will- Becky's filming.

Becky- I am?

Will- You are.

Abby- Whatever. See you around, boys.

_James and Will continue walking, and as Becky passes Abby, Abby hands her a flash drive that she pockets. We cut to a crowd gathered outside the Forrester auditorium as the lights go out. Becky's standing in the audience with a camera as the spotlight shines on James and Will onstage behind podiums._

James- Forrester, we address you today with a grave request.

Will- You must _not_ allow these insurgents to seize control of Forrester this election. They do not have your best interests at heart. Pierre is a brainless sycophant under the control of Forrester media baroness Abby Quill.

James- Media baroness? That makes her sound too cool!

Will- Fine. Morality-deprived journalist Abby Quill.

James- Thank you for your time, students. Now here's a very hip and very cool campaign video.

_James clicks a button on a remote and the projectors around the school begin to show an image of James and Will, only for the screen to go black._

James- What?

_Abby's face appears on the screen._

Becky- Uh-oh.

Abby- Students of Forrester, James and Will are a menace and are manipulating you. Turn away from their brainwashing and elect a leader that will be for the people. Pierre for Forrester Leader!

Will- Abby!

James- She must have sabotaged our presentation! Don't look at this, students!  


_Becky lowers the camera._

Becky- Doing great, guys.

_Becky looks behind her to the second floor where Abby is staring down at her. They meet eyes for a moment, but Becky can't hold her gaze. We cut to Charlotte and Lauren hiding in the bushes._

Lauren- It's almost dark…

Charlotte- He'll come.

Lauren- Maybe we should-

_A shadow rushes past the girls, rustling the bushes._

Charlotte- Agh!

Lauren- Troops!  


_Woodsworth troops emerge from around the school and in the forest and rush towards the large figure, now revealed to be Edward._

Charlotte- That's as far as you go! Hold him down!

_The troops rush at him, but he sweeps some of them aside with a single swipe. Lauren leaps on him and socks him in the face, sending him back a bit. He slams her to the ground, but Charlotte jumps on his back, stabbing a needle into his neck and eliciting a grunt of pain._

Charlotte- Don't let him get closer to the school.

_The troops dogpile on Edward, seeming to hold him down for a second. Lauren grabs his head and yells at him._

Lauren- Just give up! Your boss is gone!

Charlotte- Or is he?

Lauren- Don't undermine my threats, Char!

_Edward yells as he tosses everyone off of him and starts to run for the school. Lauren leaps up and onto his heel, dragging him back with Charlotte's help._

Charlotte- Cannons!

_The cannons on the walls fire massive foam cannonballs down that sink into Edward's stomach, knocking him on the ground. Nevertheless, he crawls forwards, reaching the wall and starting to climb it. Lauren growls and runs up, jumping up to grab him._

Charlotte- Help me!

_The troops help Charlotte all pull down on Edward as he struggles to climb up the wall. Finally, a cannonball is fired into his head, sending him crashing down. He gets up and dusts himself off as Lauren stands up, brandishing her axe._

Lauren- Come on! There's more where that came from!

_Edward seems like he_ really _wants to fight Lauren, but he growls and turns around, running away._

Lauren- Hey! Get back here!  


Charlotte- Chill, Lauren. We got what we needed.

_A soldier narrows their eyes._

Soldier- What's that?

_Charlotte holds up a needle._

Charlotte- Tracking device. Now we can find exactly where he's going.

Lauren- Nice plan, Char.

Charlotte- Thanks… couldn't have done it without the help.

Lauren- I'll be your muscle anytime.

_The faintest blush appears on Charlotte's face, and the soldier pulls out their phone and we see them texting 'Tracking device on Edward. Watch out.' We cut to Charlie receiving a text as he lies on his bed at home._

Charlie- Well… that's a complication.

_End episode._


	72. Rule the School S3E14

**Episode Fourteen: Goldenshire Spitting Fire**

Synopsis: James and Will invoke an ancient bylaw; Hannah gets mad at peace negotiations; Charlotte and Lauren track a dangerous target.

_We open on Becky, Abby, and Charlie inside the Bulletin Café having brunch._

Charlie- More eggs, please.

Becky- Ugh, couldn't you have just ordered enough the first time?

Charlie- I've never been this hungry. How much do I eat normally?

_Abby and Becky eye him._

Abby- Why would we know that?

Charlie- Whatever.

Becky- Ugh, this is totally unseasoned. I need some strychnine!

_A familiar girl, Lavender Lopez, comes up to sprinkle some powder on Becky's omelet_

Lavender- Here you go, Beck.

Becky _-_ Thank you, Lav.

Abby- Come around here often, Becky?

Becky- Only place in town that has a decent poison menu.

Charlie- Ladies, ladies, we're here for business. How's the Forrester front?

Becky- Not bad.

Abby- Not bad? We've got Will and James on their knees and once they lose the election and try to preserve their power, the people will totally turn against them.

Becky- Your little news stories are doing wonder to wreck their image.

Abby- Aw, thank you. I do try.

Charlie- Ms. Poller, news for you. I have some of my friends at Woodsworth using Charlotte's little machine to redirect some texts from Charlotte and Lauren to you instead of James and Will. Delete them.

Becky- You got it. How's the rest of the plan going?

Charlie- Don't you worry about that.

Abby- Come on, you can't tell us _anything_? Can we at least meet our co-conspirators?

Charlie- Unfortunately, no. One of my friends is being tracked by Woodsworth, so he couldn't come today.

Becky- Shame. Well, there's no need to worry about us. We have these two covered.

Charlie- Well, you'd better. Ms. Poller, how's that project going?

Becky- More dangerous by the day.

Charlie- Superb! My associates are handling Woodsworth and Maple Valley, and I'll give you more word soon.

Abby- Important question I have from last time! Do we have a team name?

_Charlie stands up._

Charlie- Consider yourselves my Jade Cabal.

_He walks away, and Abby and Becky look at each other._

Abby- Ooh! How deliciously conspiratorial!

Becky- Just so you know, I _will_ sell you out if I'm ever interrogated.

_We cut to Karasu outside of school on the phone with Charlie._

Charlie- They _got away_!?

Karasu- They had those weird metal ball things. We were helpless. We can get them soon.

Charlie- Nope, we're pivoting. Things are moving faster than anticipated.

Karasu- So what do you need?

Charlie- Make peace. We need the other tribes on our side now.

Karasu- You think they'll be up for peace?

Charlie- I'm sure you can convince the Forrester delegation to help you on that front.

Karasu- Whatever you need, Charlie.

_We cut to Hannah and AJ leaning against the wall of the room that they're hiding in._

AJ- Ugh, I'm hungry.

Hannah- We're never going to have the chance to get out if we don't fight back.

AJ- Fight back? They have an army on our doorstep.

Hannah- Well, clearly, diplomacy wasn't working.

AJ- Maybe we just needed to be a bit more assertive.

Hannah- It's about compassion, AJ. It's about understanding them.

AJ- I don't think the Valley speaks compassion.

Hannah- Don't be judgy, AJ.

Karasu- Yeah, _AJ_. Don't be judgy.

_Hannah and AJ turn around to see Karasu standing there._

AJ and Hannah- Gah!

Karasu- Don't even try to pull out your weapons.

_AJ goes for his sword but Hannah stops him._

Hannah- _What_ do you want, Su?

Karasu- I'm over the whole war. I want peace.

_There's some silence as AJ turns bright red._

AJ- WHAT?!  


Karasu- You heard me.

Hannah- AJ, be-

AJ- YOU PUT US THROUGH ALL THAT AND THEN YOU JUST SAY IT'S OVER?!

Karasu- Yep.

Hannah- Su… are you serious?

Karasu- Totally.

AJ- You do realize that now the other tribes are at war, too?

Karasu- Yeah, I was hoping you two could help with that.

AJ- You think we'll help _you_?

Karasu- When I said 'you two,' I really meant Hannah.

Hannah- Sure. We can help you.

AJ- Hannah!

Hannah- This is our only way out of this, AJ. Besides, I'm sure Su has a great explanation.

Karasu- Yeah, totally.

Hannah- So… what is it?

_Silence._

Karasu- You know what, why don't we just focus on getting the other tribes to agree to peace.

AJ- There is _no_ way that-

Hannah- Okay. Let's go.

AJ- What?!

_Hannah glances at AJ._

Hannah- Just be calm with them, AJ.

_AJ fumes._

AJ- _Fine_.

_We cut to Lauren and Charlotte pulling up on Lauren's bike outside the shopping center._

Lauren- This is where the tracking device slowed down?

Charlotte- Yep. The troops are hiding around the shopping center.

Lauren- And we're not immediately sending everyone we can after Edward because?

Charlotte- We both know he's probably not the mastermind behind this. He could be stopping here to meet up with whoever he's working for.

Lauren- Hard to believe that he'd be working for anyone but his usual boss.

Charlotte- We'll have to see for ourselves.

_We cut to Charlotte and Lauren sneaking around the shopping center, ducking around corners and crawling on the ground._

Lauren- I think that lady saw us!

Charlotte- Lauren, wait, don't-

_Lauren starts mercilessly beating an old woman with her axe before Charlotte pulls her away._

Charlotte- What are you _doing_?

Lauren- Covering our tracks. Duh.

Charlotte- Yeah, because _nobody_ would have seen you beat that poor old lady.

Lauren- Okay, you caught me. I was very punch-hungry.

Charlotte- When are you _not_?

_Charlotte presses her finger to her earpiece for a bit._

Charlotte- Come on. There's eyes on Edward.

Lauren- Hold on, I think that child saw us-

Charlotte- Come on!

_Lauren groans and follows Charlotte up the stairs. They duck around a pillar and look as a familiar large figure in a hoodie exits the thrift shop._

Lauren- Think it's Edward?

Charlotte- Who _else_ is built like that?

Lauren- I don't assume.

Charlotte- He's coming from the thrift store… let's go in.

Lauren- Shouldn't we be tracking him?

Charlotte- I have the troops on him. Aren't you worried that he was just in a store run by our former enemies?

Lauren- Becky works for _us_ now.

Charlotte- I trust her as far as I can throw her.

Lauren- That idiom is inapplicable in my case, cause I could probably throw Poller a couple dozen meters.

Charlotte- Good to know. Let's go in.

_Charlotte and Lauren enter the store, where Sterling and Christopher are playing cards._

Lauren- HEY!

Sterling- Ugh, it's _you_.

Christopher- Lee!

_He runs on all fours over to Lauren only to be kicked in the stomach._

Christopher- Ow…

Sterling- Excuse my feral coworker.

Charlotte- You work here now?

Sterling- I've fallen on hard times, alright? There's just so many aspiring dictators and so few schools. The job market is _ruthless_.

_Lauren overturns a table._

Lauren- Tell us what we want to know!

Sterling- A bit much, Lee?

Charlotte- Yeah. Tone it down a bit.

_Lauren deflates._

Charlotte- We saw Edward walk out of your store. Where is he?

Christopher- The big guy?

_Lauren kicks him again._

Sterling- I haven't the slightest idea, Charlotte.

Charlotte- Did he tell you who he's working for?

Sterling- Oh, _yes_. He's very talkative.

Lauren- Cut out the sarcasm, Price.

Charlotte- People don't just walk into stores for no reason.

Sterling- Middle aged housewives tired of their failing marriages do.

Charlotte- Does Edward _look_ like a middle aged housewife?

Sterling- From a certain angle.

Charlotte- Lauren, tone it up.

_Lauren tackles Sterling to the ground as he lets out a high pitched scream._

Sterling- No, please! Kill the angry one instead!

Christopher- Hey!  


Lauren- Where is he?

Sterling- He was picking up a package here, but it was too big! We had to send him down to the dock to get it!  


Charlotte- Lauren, come on.

_Lauren kicks Sterling into a wall and the two girls walk out of the store._

Christopher- Ugh… Becky left us to hang out with _them_?

_We cut to Becky walking down the halls of Forrester. She opens a door and enters the office where James and Will are freaking out._

Becky- Hey, boys. Something wrong?

Will- _Something_ wrong?

James- Everything's wrong! Our big speech was ruined and the Fire has been broadcasting endless anti-regime propaganda!  


Becky- You dislike that because it's propaganda or because it's anti-regime?

Will- What do you _think_?

James- We need to get the military in here. Get this situation under control before it's out of our hands.

Will- No, no, no! That's exactly what Abby's expecting us to do!

James- So, what? We just let this whole school slip out of our hands?

Becky- Actually, I might be able to help with that.

_James and Will's heads snap towards Becky._

Will- Do tell.

James- This had better be good.

Becky- Well, I was browsing the rulebook at the White Parliament and I found a bylaw…

James- Ooh, I _love_ bylaws!

_We cut to a rally for Pierre where the press is hounding him._

Pierre- Thank you for coming to the rally, everyone! Remember, vote for Pierre!

Abby- Isn't he delicious, folks?

_The students cheer as Pierre pulls Abby into a dip._

Pierre- I was thinking maybe I could talk about-

  
Abby- Talk about what we told you to. Nothing else.

Pierre- But-

Abby- Cry to your pillow about it, not to me.

_James and Will enter with a retinue of guards._

James- Abby Quill!

Will- This rally is over!

Pierre- They're intruding!  


Abby- Pierre! Let them speak…

James- Turns out that there's a protocol for elections!

Will- And protocol on how to avoid actually voting!  


James and Will- We invoke bylaw 216!

Becky- Which says that candidates in an election may instead settle their differences in a single challenge.

Abby- Oh, we know about bylaw 216. Why don't you read the rest of that, Becky?

_Becky unfolds another part._

Becky- Oh… I missed this part. Sorry, guys.

James- _What_ does it say?

Becky- Candidates in an elections may instead settle their differences in a single challenge… of combat.

Pierre- I accept your challenge!

_Pierre pulls out an axe with a blade looking suspiciously like a guillotine._

Will- Real big miss there, Becky.

Becky- I was tired.

_We cut to Hannah, AJ, and Karasu speaking to Amaru, Lupa, and Richard._

Lupa- You're offering peace _now_!?

_Hannah and Karasu beam._

Karasu- Exactly!

Hannah- Isn't it great?

Amaru- This doesn't sound at all fishy to anyone else?

AJ- _Thank_ you!

_Richard and Karasu eye each other._

Richard- Let's hear them out.

Karasu- Well… I just think I may have acted a little rashly.

Lupa- You _think_? Hon, I was less rash when I wasn't cast as Christine and burned the theater to ashes.

Amaru- What theater.

Lupa- Exactly…

Hannah- I mean, you guys don't really like to fight, do you?

Amaru- We _love_ to fight.

Richard- It's kind of our whole thing.

Hannah- Well, you guys have always been friends though.

Richard- I betrayed Charlie and attempted a coup once.

Amaru- Karasu once kidnapped and gaslighted Julio.

Lupa- I locked my girlfriend in a pit.

_Hannah grits her teeth._

AJ- Time to get pushy yet?

Hannah- I am _not_ pushy. I am very, very accommodating.

Karasu- Look, guys, we don’t need Charlie here to be united.

Richard- True. I could always replace him at the leader of the Valley.

Lupa- Shut up, Richard.

Amaru- Well, maybe I'll consider it once Lupa releases all the Biter prisoners she took.

Lupa- Oh, please, they were asking for it. They looked at me funny.

Amaru- Do you want _my_ prisoners to be used as our latest poison testers?

Lupa- You wouldn't dare!

Amaru- Give me back my kids!

Lupa- You first!

Karasu- Guys, guys-

Lupa- Oh, please, Karasu! You're the one who looks and acts like the edgy antihero of a boarding school drama!

Karasu- Hey!  


_The Valley leaders continue to squabble as Hannah grits her teeth._

AJ- Hannah, we _really_ should-

_Hannah holds up a hand._

Hannah- I can handle this, AJ. Guys, maybe we can just bring this negative energy down a little-

_Their yelling drowns her out and she silently seethes. We cut to Charlie walking up the stairs of Woodsworth wearing very nondescript clothing. He's speaking on the phone._

Charlie- The ladies are away, darlings. Time to go. Turn off the cameras.

_We cut to the computer office, where one worker shuts down all the camera footage. The other workers seem confused._

Worker- What are you doing-

_The rogue worker slams his coworkers' heads into the table, pulling out a Hidden Whisper mask and putting it on. Back to Charlie._

Charlie- Get on out there, Hidden Whispers.

_As Charlie walks up into Woodsworth, more masked Whispers emerge, beating up the innocent students of the school._

Charlie- Don’t let any of them get out.

_He punches one student in the face._

Charlie- Oh, come on, this can't be that hard. They took most of the troops with them.

_Charlie watches as the Whispers move around the school, hunting down every last student that tries to run. One student crawls near Charlie._

Student- You're Charlie Notch…

Charlie- Yes, I am! A very useful person to be.

_Charlie kicks the student's face, knocking them straight out. Charlie sighs, looking bored._

Charlie- Okay, guys, round them up. Time to start the conditioning.

_He grabs one runaway student._

Student- Conditioning?!  


Charlie- Oh, it's no biggie. Just some isolation, some convincing, and a dash of hypnotism.

_He grins._

Charlie- Trust me, it could be worse.

_Charlie hums as the Whispers drag away the students, and we cut to Forrester, where a makeshift arena has been formed in the cafeteria. James and Will are currently running and screaming as Pierre brandishes his guillotine. Abby and Becky are standing in the balcony with microphones._

Abby- Folks, the bylaw competition is on! I'm your announcer, Abby Quill, and here because we're _balanced_ is Becky Poller.

Becky- You think adding me to your panel will make things balanced?

Abby- Well, aren't you pro-regime?

Becky- I'm pro-getting paid.

James- AAAAAH!

Will- I hate this, I hate this, I hate this!  


James- Why did he get a guillotine and we just get sticks!?

Abby- And it sounds like the incumbent dictators are screaming like little children.

Becky- I'd love to contest that, but there's really no way to do that.

Pierre- This is what you get for trying to subvert the election!

James- I mean, you agreed to it.

Pierre- Shut up.

_Abby pulls out a chart._

Abby- Experts currently analyzing the match show that James and Will are projected to have a 0.1% chance of winning. With Pierre's winning physique, he's sure to take this one.

Becky- …yep, probably.

Abby- You're doing an awful job at being balanced.

Becky- Do we want balanced or truthful?

_Pierre knocks Will into a wall, advancing on him. James immediately stops running away._

James- WILL!  


_James jumps on Pierre, repeatedly hitting him with his stick until he's tossed off. Pierre advances but James slams his face, sending him reeling back._

James- Will, are you okay?

Will- I am now.

James- Ew.

Will- We could die.

_Will kisses James._

James- We're not going to die, Will.

Will- Also, I wanted a kiss.

Crowd- Awwwwwwww…

Will- We can beat him.

James- I'm starting to regret this. The people will hate us for avoiding the election…

Will- Not if we play this right.

_Will grabs James' hand and raises it high._

Will- We're not going to give up, Forrester! We're going to fight for you!

James- Um… yeah!

Becky- You heard it here, folks…

Abby- Heard what? I wasn't listening.

Becky- You're the announcer.

Abby- I had to sign autographs, honey.

Pierre- You two aren't fighting for Forrester! You're fighting to maintain your power!

Will- You're fighting for Abby Quill, and she'd be an even worse dictator than us.

Pierre- I…um…

_Pierre looks to Abby._

James- He can't speak for himself! You really want this puppet to lead you?!

Abby- Wait! Folks! Look at his chiseled chin!

Student- I really need more than just a chiseled chin to elect a leader.

Abby- Oh, we're picking _now_ to be picky about who leads us?!

Will- When we beat Pierre and secure Forrester under our control, we're doing this for you, Forrester!

_The crowd hesitantly cheers as James and Will charge towards a stunned Pierre, working together to whack his shins and head._

Pierre- Ah! Get over here!

James- Does this count as a couples' assassination?

Will- I'll take it.

_They smack Pierre in the head and he falls to the ground._

James- Now what?

Will- What else? We pose.

_Will picks up James bridal style and they spin for the crowd as they cheer._

Abby- Hold on! Stop cheering, folks! Stop-

_Becky unplugs Abby's microphone._

Abby- Hey!

Becky- Better luck next time, Quill.

_Abby huffs and packs up her bags._

Will- Nobody's ever subverted the democratic process and looked as cute as you.

_James flushes._

James- Um… yeah… just… yeah.

_We cut to Maple Valley, where the tribal leaders are still arguing._

Lupa- And Richard, we all know you can't actually pull off a sweatervest!  


Richard- I will stomp on your corpse with a thousand feet!

Amaru- You're being totally unreasonable. Two hundred feet would be fine.

Karasu- I offered you peace, and you spat in my face!

Lupa- If I _did_ spit in your face, maybe it would fix that awful makeup job.

Hannah- Guys, guys, please just-

AJ- I'm intervening.

Hannah- No! We just need to be patient and-

_A shoe hits Hannah in the face and she turns even redder._

AJ- We're getting nowhere with these people.

Hannah- We just need to play along.

_AJ glances down to see Hannah lightly tapping on her own wrist, and his eyes widen in concern._

AJ- Hannah… you don't need to play along.

_Hannah's red to the point of tomato now._

AJ- Hannah, stop!

Hannah- It's _fine_.

_A second shoe flies towards Hannah and hits her square in the face again. Everyone glances towards her as she looks like she's about to explode._

Karasu- Um, Hannah? You okay?!

_Hannah completely snaps._

Hannah- AM I OKAY?! ARE YOU ALL OKAY?! YOU'RE SUPPOSEDLY FRIENDS BUT ALL YOU'RE DOING IS FIGHT JUST BECAUSE CHARLIE ISN'T HERE! GET OVER YOURSELVES, YOU ABSOLUTELY IMMATURE WANNABE WARLORDS! I CAN'T JUST STAND HERE AND WATCH YOU ALL MAKE FOOLS OF YOURSELVES!

_Hannah pushes all four of them into a nearby room._

Hannah- DON'T COME OUT OF THIS ROOM UNTIL YOU SORT OUT YOUR DIFFERENCES!

_She slams the door and deflates._

AJ- …wow.

Hannah- Too much?

AJ- Just enough.

_We see inside the room._

Richard- That was scary…

Lupa- I should really try and capture anger like that in my next role.

Amaru- Come on, guys. Let's at least try and do what she said.

Karasu- Oh, that won't be necessary.

_Karasu whistles and after a while, the tunnel begin to open._

Karasu- Don't yell, guys.

_Charlie emerges from the tunnel, grinning._

Amaru- Charlie?

Lupa- You're back?

Charlie- Shush, friends. Karasu and Richard have both been working with me…

Amaru- What? Why wouldn't you tell us about this?

Charlie- The fighting had to be genuine. But now I can tell you about the real plan. The plan that will make sure foreign invaders never mess with the Valley again…

_Karasu glances at the ground and we cut to the door opening. Everyone walks out, except for Charlie, who's gone again._

Hannah- Well? Did you finally manage to grow up for a change?

_Everyone is silent as they stare down AJ and Hannah. Karasu nervously meets Hannah's gaze and mouths 'Run.' Hannah immediately grabs AJ's arm and turns around, an arrow from Amaru whistling past them._

AJ- Wait! What's happening?!

Hannah- We have to go! We have to run!

_A horn blares across the Valley._

Lupa- Get ready, losers! It's time to go to war!

_We cut to Edward walking by the dock in the marketplace, hefting a massive box across his shoulders. He hears whispering around him and his eyes dart across the various trenchcoat-wearing shoppers. Suddenly a car drives in front of his sightline, and after it passes, Charlotte and Lauren are standing there, walking towards him._

Charlotte- Edward Myte…

Lauren- What's in the box?

_Edward growls and reaches to the back of his neck, pulling out a metal ball and crushing it._

Charlotte- Oh, you finally found the tracking device?

Lauren- Should have gotten rid of it sooner.

_The various shoppers subtly try to surround Edward as his eyes narrow._

Charlotte- We know you're not behind everything that's been happening. Who is?

Lauren- Why did Charlie attack my deputies?

_Edward is silent._

Charlotte- Not feeling talkative. Maybe a couple weeks in solitary confinement will fix that…

_Edward hesitates before turning around and bolting. The shoppers throw off their trenchcoats to reveal that they're actually Woodsworth students stacked on top of each other. They fire various nets that entangle Edward. Lauren moves at him, but he whirls around, hitting her with the box._

Box- Watch it, Eddie!

Lauren- Did that box just _talk_?!

_Edward tosses the nets off of himself only for Lauren to punch him square in the face. Meanwhile, Charlotte pulls out a special pistol, firing lumps of glue at Edward's feet and sticking him to the ground._

Lauren- What's in there!?

_Edward knocks aside various Woodsworth troops and grabs a nearby crate, chucking it at Charlotte._

Lauren- Char!

_Charlotte tries to duck but it hits the top of her head and she's immediately knocked out. Lauren runs over to her as Edward rips his feet from the ground, walking into the lake and pushing the box in. Charlotte's eyes flutter open._

Charlotte- Ow…

Lauren- Are you okay?!

Charlotte- Not really, no. You… you need to get Edward.

_Lauren turns around, but Edward's already disappeared under the water._

Lauren- He… he's gone, Char. I'm sorry.

_Charlotte sighs._

Charlotte- It's okay, Laur. He only ripped out the outside of the tracking device. The rest of it's under the skin.

Lauren- Stop thinking, Charlotte. I need to get you back to Woodsworth and-

Charlotte- What?

Lauren- Um… the box is shaking.

_Charlotte scrambles to sit up and both girls watch the box in the lake shake and eventually open up to reveal a small boat with three people in it: Quentin, Ben, and Lydia, the previous crew of Woodsworth's yacht._

Lauren- You're kidding me.

Charlotte- Are those the Whisperer's lackeys?

Lauren- The annoying boat people. Yes.

Charlotte- Where… where are they headed?

Lauren- Oh, no…

Charlotte- What?

Lauren- They're sailing for the Forrester yacht…

Quentin- That yacht will be ours! Man the sails!

Lydia- We're on a canoe. We don't have sails, Quentin.

_Charlotte sighs and leans back again, Lauren propping her up._

Lauren- Hey, it's not your fault, Char.

Charlotte- Ugh… we need to get back. I need to talk to James and Will.

_Charlotte's phone rings and she picks it up, her eyes widening._

Charlotte- Okay. We'll be there.

Lauren- Good news?

_Charlotte gravely shakes her head._

Charlotte- Anything but.

_End episode._


	73. Rule the School S3E15

**Episode Fifteen: Lost in the Valley**

Synopsis: James and Will deal with the impending war; Charlotte and Lauren go tracking; AJ and Hannah try to escape to Forrester.

_We open on shots of the various flags of Maple Valley being raised over the castle as grave music plays and Abby's voice is heard._

Abby- Today is a grave day for all Forrestites. Maple Valley has officially declared war in this catchy viral video.

_A video pops up of Lupa dancing and singing._

Lupa- **We're going to war with you! And there's nothing that you can do!**

Abby- Horrifyingly hummable, folks. Now, newly 'elected' Forrester leaders James and Will have made no public statement on the conflict, but the troops have been making silent preparations.

_We see Abby in her newsroom surrounded by several charts._

Abby- Is this all James and Will's fault? Probably. Doesn't it just sound like it should be? Here's several chart that aren't related to what we're talking about. I have ex-candidate Pierre DeRoe on the line right now to give his very valued opinion on the current situation. Pierre, what do you think of this?

Pierre- It's bad!  


_Pierre disappears from the screen._

Abby- Thank you, Pierre. Now, as Forrester's most respected newswoman, I try to stay neutral on most matters, but I _simply_ must speak out. James and Will's lack of transparency to the populace is utterly outrageous and must be corrected immediately! Now, onto today's sponsor, Jupiter Medicinal!

_We see Charlotte and Lauren watching the broadcast as they walk up the stairs to Woodsworth._

Charlotte- This is bad…

Lauren- And we haven't even found the root of our problems here yet.

Charlotte- Ugh, don't remind me.

Lauren- Time to text James and Will?

_Charlotte sighs._

Charlotte- Yeah, it's time. We need to let them know what's going on over here.

_Charlotte types a quick text and presses send. We cut to Becky receiving the text as she walks through the halls of Forrester. She raises an eyebrow as she reads it._

Becky- What is he _doing_ over at Woodsworth?

_Becky shrugs and pockets her phone as she rounds a corner into a room where Mr. Garcia is examining his rifle._

Becky- Mr. Garcia.

Mr. Garcia- Oh! Hey, Becky. Orders from the bosses?

Becky- Precisely. There's a small situation with the Forrester yacht that we need you to sort out before it makes the news.

_Abby's voice is heard on the news in the background._

Abby- It also appears that pirates have seized control of the Forrester yacht! Does this chaos know no ends?

Mr. Garcia- A bit late for that.

Becky- Just get out there and handle it.

Mr. Garcia- Just me?

Becky- I've assigned you some other soldiers. The other deputies are… busy.

_Becky turns heel and quickly walks away, and we cut to the woods between Maple Valley and Forrester. After a few seconds, AJ and Hannah rush past the screen, pursued by Valley troops._

Hannah- AAAAH!

AJ- WHAT'S HAPPENING?

Hannah- I don't know! I thought I was getting through to them!

AJ- Me too! Your whole bad cop thing was totally their style!

Hannah- Well, it didn't work!

AJ- Good try, though.

Hannah- AJ, now's _really_ not the time for encouragement!

Sunlion- Get back here, foreigners!

_A Sunlion riding two students in a horse costume runs down AJ, tripping him up._

Hannah- AJ!

AJ- Leave me… I'll be a sacrifice.

  
Hannah- Who do you think I am, _James_?

_Hannah reaches into her purse and pulls out a paintball rifle, running towards their pursuers and firing on them. She ducks under a sword strike, slamming the Sunlion off his horse and pointing the rifle threateningly at the horse._

Hannah- Take off that ridiculous costume and _leave_.

_The two people inside the costume quickly throw it off and scramble away as Hannah helps up AJ._

AJ- I think the whole horse costume thing is a bit charming.

Hannah- Not the time. You okay?

AJ- Yeah. Have I ever told you that you're really cool.

Hannah- You could always tell me more. Now come on. We have to get ahead.

AJ- Should we call James and Will?

Hannah- Regrettably, we have to.

AJ- Hey! They can help us!

Hannah- I'll be courteous.

_The two of them run off and we cut to Charlotte and Lauren speaking to a seemingly terrified student._

Charlotte- Start from the beginning. Tell us everything that happened.

Student- Th-they came in so suddenly! They were wearing masks and they took so many of the students!

Lauren- Where!? Where did they take them!?

Student- I don't know, okay!? Nobody knows!

Charlotte- Did you see a leader? Someone giving orders?  


_The student's eyes narrow for a second._

Student- I… I don't think so.

Lauren- You don't _think_ so?

Student- It's hard to think about! I lost friends!

_Lauren grabs the student._

Lauren- Tell us what we need NOW!  


Charlotte- Laur. Let her go.

_Lauren reluctantly drops the student._

Charlotte- Get out of here.

_The student scrambles out and Charlotte sighs, rubbing her head._

Lauren- I could have gotten something out of her.

Charlotte- Harmful interrogation is very effective at extracting confessions. _False_ confessions.

Lauren- Whatever. Confession's a confession.

Charlotte- It's not going to solve our problem. Someone was bold enough to stage an attack on Woodsworth while we were gone. A _successful_ attack.

Lauren- And the security footage is nowhere to be found.

Charlotte- Which means that they have people on the inside. Who knows how many of our students are part of these Hidden Whispers…

Lauren- Exactly! That's why we need to find out who and lock them up!

Charlotte- We could spend weeks investigating random students and get no further to discovering the source of this problem.

Lauren- You want to go after Edward _again_? Hasn't gone super well before.

Charlotte- We trust nobody but each other. Track him, just the two of us, without telling a soul. He won't see it coming.

Lauren- And we're tracking him to find what, exactly?

Charlotte- His boss. Or bosses. Whoever's at the top of all this.

Lauren- Placing my bets now, it's probably his usual boss.

Charlotte- Expect the unexpected.

Lauren- I'll get ready to leave.

Charlotte- Meet me outside in half an hour. And remember, not a word to anyone else.

Lauren- You got it, Char.

_Lauren exits and Charlotte spins slowly in her chair, giving out a long, slow groan._

Charlotte- Sometimes I _really_ hate my job.

_We cut to just outside Forrester, where the troops are assembling and preparing blockades. James and Will walk amongst them, both looking worried, James more so._

James- Hannah and AJ… they're in trouble.

Will- They _did_ sound pretty distressed on that call.

James- AJ literally spent the entire call screaming hysterically.

Will- I was trying to be nice.

James- We're at _war_ , Will. And we don't even know why!

Will- Well, there's lots of reasons for the Valley to dislike us. Our imperialist tendencies, our continuous disregard of their rules, Charlie being hurt in our war with Woodsworth.

James- Okay, okay, I get it.

_Will gestures to the pine tree pins on his and James' shirts._

Will- But look on the bright side! We got these nice pins for winning the election!

_James sighs._

James- We have to be strong now more than ever. Our troops may have firearms, but the Valley's on another level.

Will- We need Lauren back here as soon as possible. Military strategy isn't our forte. But in the meantime, at least we can be pretty faces.

James- I might have to leave that to you.

Will- Oh, pish-posh! You're perfectly pretty.

_James flushes as a soldier approaches them with Becky._

Soldier- Sirs! I have some logistics questions!

Becky- They were persistent, sorry.

Will- No, no. Ask away.

_The soldier rips off their outfit and mask to reveal Abby Quill in a new and extravagant outfit, this time a very large dress of tiger fur._

Abby- Surprise! It was me, Abby!  


_Abby shoves a microphone in their faces as Nate emerges with his camera from under her dress._

Abby- What's the status of the Forrester diplomats AJ Mitchell and Hannah Goldenshire that you sent to Maple Valley? Are they even _alive_?

James- We can be reasonably certain they're not dead, Abby.

Will- They're smart. They'll find their way home.

Abby- Have you even sent out rescue parties? How can you be so _callous_ with your own citizens!?

James- We're-

Abby- And you sit around here behind the walls of Forrester doing _nothing_! Shameful, truly shameful.

Will- Abby, we're making important strategic-

Abby- I know that _Pierre_ would be out there right now rescuing those citizens!

James- That's exactly what we're doing!  


Will- We are?

James- Yes! We're going to lead our own platoon out there and retrieve AJ and Hannah!

Abby- Oh, _really_?

James- Y-yes! Totally!

Becky- Count me out for that one.

Will- Oh, there's no way you're coming with us after the stunt you pulled accidentally forcing us into combat!

Becky- It worked out, didn't it.

James- Becky, just stay here and manage the troops. Cook them up some poison or something.

Becky- You make it sound so simple. Poison is an _art_ , James.

Abby- Well, _I'm_ coming. I'll report on your so-called heroics and give the people of Forrester the _truth_ about what happens out there.

Will- Ugh! Can't we just do one thing as a couple?

Abby- Not to worry. I'll be quiet as a mouse.

_James and Will give each other disgruntled looks, and we cut to Mr. Garcia battling the Woodsworth pirates on the Forrester yacht, backed up by some other Forrester troops._

Mr. Garcia- Get off this yacht! If you like being pirates so much, just go to a convention or something.

Lydia- That's not the _same_!

Quentin- We are people of the sea!

Mr. Garcia- This is a lake.

Quentin- Technicalities, technicalities.

_Mr. Garcia gets fed up and aims his beanbag shotgun, slamming Quentin in the face and knocking him out cold._

Ben- Hey! I sort of care about him.

Lydia- Meh. He's kind of a wet blanket.

_Mr. Garcia quickly knocks out the two of them as well._

Mr. Garcia- Ugh. At least this is more fun that actually teaching.

_A voice sounds from below deck._

Charlie- Glad I could get out here, Mr. Garcia.

_Charlie walks out from the yacht, gesturing to the other soldiers._

Charlie- Leave us alone, please.

_The soldiers scramble below deck as Mr. Garcia furrows his brow in confusion._

Mr. Garcia- Notch? What are you doing out here?

_Charlie just smiles._

Charlie- Mr. Garcia. Grew up right here in Ashmount. Famed alumni of Maple Valley. But you didn't just stay here in town forever, did you?

Mr. Garcia- What are you getting at?

Charlie- You put those Valley skills to use. Earned an international reputation. The Red Hound, they called you.

_Mr. Garcia's eyes narrows._

Mr. Garcia- _How_ do you know this?

Charlie- Doesn't matter. What does matter is that you have lots of powerful enemies. Enemies that would _love_ to know exactly where you're hiding out.

_A pause._

Mr. Garcia- What do you want, Notch?

Charlie- There will be a time when I need you to do something for me. At that time, you will obey.

Mr. Garcia- Not very specific, are you?

Charlie- Would you like me to get into the specifics of what will happen if you refuse?

Mr. Garcia- Will… will I have to up against my sheriff?

Charlie- Oh, it shouldn't come to that. But if it does, I'm sure you'll find the strength. Besides, if she's out the way, then there's a job opening ripe for the picking.

_Mr. Garcia grimaces._

Mr. Garcia- What are you planning?

Charlie- Lots, Mr. Garcia. Lots and lots.

_We cut to James, Will, and Abby walking through the forest with some troops. James and Will are wearing some protective armor while Abby is wearing a bright queen sequined jumpsuit with her hair pulled back and lined with peacock feathers._

Abby- So, how long is a Forrester leadership term, exactly?

James- It lasts until someone tricks us into another election.

Abby- Term limits?

Will- Don't make me laugh.

Abby- Oh, William, do you _really_ want that on the record?

Will- If you're going to insult us, it might as well be with things we actually said.

James- Not that the people care what's true and what's not.

Abby- Rude. I'm an _entertainer,_ James. I give the people a simple worldview with heroes and villains!

James- And of course, you're the hero?

Abby- Of course.

Will- Are you sure it was a wise idea to come with us, Ms. Quill? This could get dangerous.

Abby- I'm wearing my adventuring outfit, Cross. And I'm deadly with a pen, metaphorically and literally.

_Abby chucks three pens at a nearby tree, and they sink into the bark in a perfect triangle._

James- Yikes.

Abby- I could probably assassinate you both if I wanted to, but then I wouldn't have any more punching bags!

Will- Please. I'd like to see you try.

James- I wouldn't.

Abby- Ugh, talking to you two is _boring._ Where's AJ and Hannah?

Will- Service here kind of sucks. We can't pin down their location.

_An extremely high pitched scream rings out._

Will- Did you hear that?

Abby- Was that Hannah?

James- No… it's AJ!

Abby- Come on, Nate! I want close ups!

_Abby and Nate rush forwards._

James- Wait up!

_James, Will, and the soldiers rush after them, stumbling across AJ and Hannah engaged with Richard and some Sunlions._

James- AJ! Hannah!

_AJ and Hannah whirl around._

AJ and Hannah- Will!

Will- Don't worry, we're here!  


James- Wait, why did you greet _him_ first?

Hannah- Just help us!

Will- Soldiers! To battle!

James- Um, yeah. That.

_Abby slides under a Sunlion and sticks a microphone in AJ's face._

Abby- How does this make you _feel_?

AJ- Get out of my way!

Abby- Wow! He's _so_ rude, folks.

_Will and Hannah end up fighting Richard._

Hannah- You fighting, Will? Really?

Will- Don't worry, Hann, you're not special. It's publicity.

Hannah- Of course.

_They knock Richard off his 'horse' and he scrambles to his feet._

Richard- This is only the beginning! War is coming, Forrestites! The Valley will have our due!

Will- Yeah, but like… why? I thought we were on good terms.

Richard- You thought wrong! Horse!

_Richard gets on his horse and awkwardly rides away along with the other Sunlions._

Will- Jamie, say something heroic.

James- Oh! Um… not to worry, loyal diplomats, you're saved now.

_Hannah walks up to James and pulls him down by the ear._

James- Owowowow!

Hannah- You sent us into a death trap!  


Will- Not knowingly!

Hannah- We could have been captured forever!

James- Yeah, sorry about that.

Abby- You hear that, folks? Infighting among Forrester's leadership!

Everyone- Shut up, Abby!

Will- You're not even live! Who are you talking to?

Abby- The folks, obviously!

James- Well… we're glad you two are okay.

_Hannah huffs._

AJ- Thanks for coming to get us, James. I'm… I'm sorry we couldn't get through to the Valley.

_James pats AJ's shoulder._

James- Not your fault. Besides, we need you back home for the war effort.

AJ- Oh, yeah! I've been writing a new propaganda play in my head! It involves a mountain that symbolizes Forrester because a mountain's the opposite of a valley, right?

Will- Sounds great, AJ, but we really have to-

_A foam crossbow bolt flies past Will's face, hitting a Forrester soldier who falls to the ground._

Hannah- What was that?!  


_A rustle is heard from the trees and a masked figure drops down, wielding two crossbows._

James- Run?

AJ- We seem to be doing a lot of that lately.

_We cut to Charlotte and Lauren sitting in a tree. It's starting to get a little dark as the two girls peer down below._

Lauren- Think that the students will buy our cover story?

Charlotte- Of course they will. It's very believable that we would go and watch an execution.

Lauren- Is there even an execution happening today?

Charlotte- There could be.

_Lauren chuckles._

Lauren- Whatever you say, Char.

Charlotte- Shush… here he comes.

_The two girls look down as a familiar large figure walks down the street, looking around furtively._

Charlotte- Don't lose him. But _be quiet_.

_The two girls move down from the tree and hide behind various trash cans and trees as Edward slowly walks down the street._

Lauren- Ugh, how is he so slow sometimes and sometimes so fast?

Charlotte- Maybe it's like a storage thing. He absorbs energy during the slow moments and then uses it all at once.

Lauren- It was a rhetorical question.

Charlotte- Oh… yeah.

Lauren- Duck!

_The two girls duck under a trash can as Edward turns around to look._

Charlotte- Enough banter.

Lauren- If you insist.

_They follow Edward for a bit longer before he stops in front of a shop._

Charlotte- Cullen Car Repair?

Lauren- Maybe he's a robot that needs fixing up.

Charlotte- I'll write that one down.

_Lauren goes silent._

Charlotte- Laur?

Lauren- Charlotte… look.

_Charlotte turns to see another figure approaching Edward… Charlie._

Charlotte- Is that…

Lauren- Notch.

_The two boys glance at each other before walking into the shop. The girls are speechless for a few second._

Lauren- What… what do we-

Charlotte- Cover the entrance. We're getting them as soon as they come out.

_We cut to inside Cullen Car Repair, where Charlie and Edward are faced with Randy Cullen._

Randy- Hey, Eddy. Who's this new guy?

Charlie- You must be Randy. I'm a friend of your nephew's.

Randy- Eddy's making new friends!?

_Randy vigorously shakes Charlie's hand._

Randy- Thanks so much for stopping by! Fridge is all yours to take from, and I'll try not to bother you guys upstairs. It's a slow night for car repair, anyway.

Charlie- Thank you, sir. We won't be long.

Randy- You can stay as long as you want! I could get out sleeping bags!  


Charlie- That really won't be necessary.

_Randy's face falls and he shuffles away. Charlie and Edward begin to walk upstairs to Edward's room._

Charlie- Your uncle seems nice.

_Edward just grunts as they reach the room._

Charlie- Go into the bathroom and dig out the rest of that tracking device.

_Edward heads out and Charlie sits on the bed, twiddling his thumbs for a bit until he hears a breathing noise._

Charlie- What… what is that?

_He turns to see a figure covered with a blanket on the ground. His hand shaking, he reaches out and pulls back the blanket. It's the Whisperer, unconscious and slowly breathing. Charlie's hand shoots back and he recoils sharply, standing from the bed._

Charlie- Alan… I-I mean the Whisperer… I mean, I mean…

_Charlie walks over to the unconscious form, studying it closely. Charlie's breathing hastens until he turns around to see Edward behind him._

Charlie- Gah!

_Charlie jumps back and Edward just puts the blanket back up over the Whisperer._

Charlie- You… you've been keeping him here?

_Edward nods, looking at Charlie curiously._

Charlie- You've been feeding him?

_Edward nods again._

Charlie- I, um… I don't know… I don't…

_Edward's hand rests on Charlie's shoulder and Charlie begins to calm down._

Charlie- I… I'm fine. It was just… odd. B-but we have a plan. We have to see it through. March and Lee definitely saw us. They're probably waiting for us as we speak.

_Randy's voice rings out from downstairs._

Randy- Eddy! There's some more friends here to see you!

_Edward's fist balls up._

Charlie- Relax. These are actual friends.

_Charlie and Edward stand up and walk downstairs to see several masked Whispers, all of them with similar builds to Charlie._

Charlie- Thanks for stopping by, guys.

_We cut to Charlotte and Lauren waiting outside when they hear a garage opening on the other side of the building._

Lauren- What's that?

_The girls rush around to see several nearly identical masked figures on motorbikes preparing to drive out of the garage._

Charlotte- Stop right there!

Lauren- Char, get out of the way!

_Lauren tackles Charlotte out of the way as the motorbikes zoom forward, splitting up and going separate ways._

Lauren- Which one's Notch!?

Charlotte- I… I don't know.

_Cut to the girls bursting into the store where Randy is reading a newspaper._

Lauren- HEY!  


Randy- Oh, hi! Are you friends of Eddy's? You've _got_ to check out this issue of the Forrester Fire. I can't _believe_ what's happening over there.

Charlotte- _Where's_ Edward?

Randy- Oh, he left out the back. I think he had school business or something.

_Charlotte and Lauren rush out the back only to see some large footprints that trail off. Charlotte pulls out her phone._

Charlotte- Ugh!

Lauren- What?

Charlotte- I guess he finally managed to pull out that tracking device.

Lauren- Charlie… Charlie was with Edward.

Charlotte- Whatever's going on with Charlie… he's an enemy now.

_We cut to James, Will, Abby, Hannah, and AJ running through the forest as the masked crossbow-wielder chases after them._

James- Who is that?!

Hannah- I didn't exactly get a good look at the person CHASING US WITH A CROSSBOW!

James- Fair point.

Abby- Maybe they're just misunderstood. If I could sit them down for an interview I could-

Will- Be quiet, Quill!

_A crossbow bolt thuds onto AJ's back, knocking him to the ground._

AJ- Ah!

Hannah- AJ!

Abby- Leave him!

James- Hm… maybe-

Will- We're not leaving him!

James- Um, yeah! We're not leaving him!

_All of them turn around to face the masked figure, Abby 'accidentally' tripping James in the process._

James- Hey!  


Abby- It was an accident.

_The figure grabs AJ's legs and begins to drag him away before Hannah socks them in the face, eliciting a grunt._

Hannah- Get off of him!

_James shoulder charges the figure._

James- I need him for political purposes!

AJ- And friendship?

James- That too!

_Will helps AJ up and they turn back around to run._

Abby- This will make an exhilarating story!

AJ- If we survive!

Will- Don't be dramatic, AJ.

James- Who's chasing us? Are they from the Valley?

Hannah- Maybe! I don't recognize them!

_A bolt flies past Hannah's head. Abby narrows her eyes and subtly drops a pen in front of Hannah that she trips on._

Hannah- Agh!

_The figure starts to close in on her but AJ quickly whacks them with a tree branch, helping Hannah to her feet._

AJ- What do they want with us?!  


James- Just a little farther! We're almost out of the forest!

_The masked figure's head snaps up and they quickly scramble back, running to the side and out of sight._

Hannah- Where… where did they go?

Will- Don't know, don't care.

Abby- Shame they didn't get rid of any of you.

Everyone- Shut up, Abby.

_Cut to everyone walking out of the forest, very clearly tired. They walk up to the Forrester encampment, where Becky is just walking, talking to some troops._

Becky- Oh, you're back. I see you found them.

James- We did! It was very heroic.

Hannah- Don't overhype yourself, James… but thanks.

Will- Now come on, everyone. We have a war to prepare for.

Abby- I'll be right there.

James- Not you, Abby.

_Everyone else walks off, and Becky lingers behind with Abby for a second._

Abby- Don't get mad at yourself. You tried.

Becky- Whatever. It would have been nice to get one of them… but they'll all be dealt with soon enough.

_Becky reaches inside her coat and pulls out two crossbows, tossing them to Abby before she turns around and walk away._

Becky- See you around, Quill.

_End episode._


	74. Rule the School S3E16

**Episode Sixteen: The Exact Whereabouts of Charlie Notch**

Synopsis: The forces of Forrester clash with the tribes of the Valley; Charlotte and Lauren attempt to locate Charlie.

_We open on James, Will, AJ, and Hannah staring down from the walls of Forrester down at the forest._

AJ- Where are they?

Hannah- Hiding…

_Becky walks up to them._

James- You finished setting up the defenses?

Becky- As much as I could. The students are petrified. Even Abby's been silent.

Will- We've fought wars before.

Hannah- Not against the Valley…

Becky- Oh, and did you guys see the message from Charlotte and Lauren? Apparently there's something going on with Charlie.

James- That's the least of our concerns right now.

Will- Agreed.

AJ- Guys… there's something coming out of the forest.

_They all turn to see four figures slowly approaching out of the forest: Lupa, Amaru, Karasu, and Richard._

Hannah- They're alone…

Becky- I have pretty good aim. Want me to take them out now?

James and Will- No!

Becky- Just trying to be helpful.

_A pause._

James- We'll meet with them.

_Will nods._

Will- Right.

AJ- What?!

Will- The Valley's a lot of things, but they're not dishonorable. A parlay before battle seems appropriate.

_We cut to James and Will walking across the field to meet with the four Valley leaders._

Amaru- Ooh, they came!

Lupa- How unexpected.

Will- What's unexpected about common courtesy?

_They all snicker._

Richard- I suppose you must not have spotted the archers we had trained on you.

_James and Will look in the trees to see semi-camouflaged aiming bows at them. Both of them turning pale._

James- Erm… I, um…

Will- So, you have archers trained on us. Are you going to have them fire? We're right here…

_A tense pause._

Karasu- You're lucky they made me agree to an honorable fight…

Lupa- Our mercy knows no bounds.

James- Why have a fight to begin with? I thought our previous relationship was pretty good!

Amaru- I'm sure _you_ did.

Will- Don't _talk_ to him like that.

Lupa- Well, I'm glad that you had fun with our prior arrangement, _Forrestites_ , but we decided that you were getting awfully grabby with our land.

James- That's absurd!

Will- Mostly absurd!

Karasu- We're the Valley. We always strike first. This is no exception.

Will- But, like… could you make an exception?

Amaru, Lupa, Karasu, Richard- No!

Will- Worth a shot.

James- Why conquer Forrester, though?

Richard- Oh, we're not going to conquer you.

Karasu- We're just going to reduce your administration to a shell of its former self and beat down your students so you can _never_ try and go after the Valley again.

_James gulps._

James- That's not very reassuring.

Karasu- Wasn't trying to be.

Lupa- Ugh, I'm BORED!

_Lupa turns around and waves._

Lupa- You have a few hours before we attack! Bye!

_The four of them turn heel and disappear into the forest, leaving James and Will with their mouths hanging wide open._

James- Um…

Will- Uh…

_The two of them slowly turn to face each other._

James and Will- AAAAAAAH!

_We cut to Charlotte and Lauren walking up to a house._

Lauren- You heard James and Will are under attack?

Charlotte- Of course. What, you want to go there instead of finding what's really going on with all this?

Lauren- I'm a little sad to miss all the action.

Charlotte- Our troops were decimated by that attack, Lauren. And who knows how many of our remaining soldiers are traitors.

Lauren- You're right, you're right. What we're doing is much more important.

Charlotte- Now get ready in case he's here.

_Charlotte knocks on the door, and Anna-May and Virginia answer eagerly._

Virginia- Hello, guests! You here for the bingo night?

Anna-May- You look a bit young for bingo fanatics, but we started young, too.

Charlotte- We're not here for a bingo night.

_Virginia immediately bursts into tears._

Virginia- Nobody EVER comes to my bingo night!

Anna-May- Our quiche will be WASTED!  


_Anna-May pulls out her rifle and shoots a chair several times before Virginia calms her._

Virginia- It's…it's okay. What _are_ you girls here for, then?

Anna-May- Or are you just here to make us miserable about our social circle?

Lauren- We're friends of Charlie's.

_Virginia and Anna-May immediately perk up._

Virginia- Oh! Our apologies!

Anna-May- Eat some quiche!  


_Anna-May shoves quiche in their mouths and forces them to eat it._

Charlotte- Okay! Okay! Can you two _please_ sit down?

_The two Notches sit down eagerly, Mitzie the cat coming up to sit on their lap._

Virginia- What's going on sweetie?

Lauren- We're looking for Charlie. Has he told you that he was going anywhere? Doing anything?

_Virginia and Anna-May glance at each other, confused._

Charlotte- What?

Anna-May- Char-Char said he was staying with friends at school…

Charlotte- How long ago…?

Virginia- A-about a week…

Anna-May- Where's our son?

Lauren- We don't know. We're looking.

Virginia- I would suggest you call the cops, but I don't want them on our trail again.

Charlotte- This is school business. No cops.

_Charlotte and Lauren stand up._

Charlotte- Well, sorry for wasting your time. Come on, Lauren.

Lauren- Right.

_The two girls start to walk out._

Anna-May- Wait! Is there something wrong with Charlie?

Virginia- Is he okay?

Lauren- For now. I might have to give him a good beating once we find him.

Charlotte- Lauren!

Lauren- Oh. I mean… I won't do that.

_We cut to Forrester, where the deputies have assembled some troops outside of Forrester walls. The four Valley leaders are still the only Valley forces available as Abby reports from the front lines. Abby is, of course, wearing an extravagant outfit, this time a tight snakeskin dress with golden serpents wrapped around her legs and a veil over the back of her hair._

Abby- This is Abby Quill, reporting from the front lines of what is sure to be a historic battle for Ashmount. After decades of internal warfare, the tribes of Maple Valley have united and will mount their assault on Forrester any second now. I've been told that we need morale at the moment, but I can't help but think that _maybe_ we wouldn't be in this situation if we had better leadership! Nate, with me!  


Cameraman- My name is not Nate…

Abby- You're all called Nate!

_Abby walks over to the deputies._

Abby- Leading the defenses of Forrester in the absence of sheriff Lee are our lovely deputies. Any words to reassure the students of Forrester?

Gabriel- Get that stupid camera out of my face!

Matthew- We're all gonna die!

Abby- We can edit that, right, Nate?

Cameraman- We're live, Abby.

Abby- Agh! Well, anyway, today's episode is sponsored by the book we'll all be needing soon, _How to Survive Life as a Prisoner_.

_Abby continues talking, and we cut to the four Valley members watching her, annoyed._

Karasu- Ugh, I can hear her yapping all the way from over here.

Richard- It hurts my ears…

Lupa- Amaru, handle it.

Amaru- Fine, fine.

_Amaru lazily strings his bow, shooting the cameraman from across the battlefield and sending panic throughout the Forrester ranks._

Abby- AAAAAH!

Amaru- Whoops. They're panicking.

Lupa- Oh, it's fine. Guys, start charging or whatever!

_We cut to James and Will inside Forrester in their office, Will singing karaoke._

Will- **Ooh, baby, baby, you make me feel so right!  
**

James- Can you not right now, Will? We kind of have a major battle on our-

_He's interrupted as the ground begins to slightly shake._

Will- Jamie? What was that?

_James quickly rushes over to the computer and pulls up footage from Forrester's security cameras, and we cut to Hannah, AJ, and Becky rushing on the walls of Forrester._

AJ- What's happening?!

Hannah- I think the attack's starting!

Becky- I'd say it was nice knowing you, but AJ's here.

Hannah- Aw, you like me?

AJ- Can we go back to that second-

Hannah- Look!

_Hannah points towards the forest, and the three of them look on in horror as the entire Valley begins charging out, Biters banging on drums. Becky, Hannah, and AJ are speechless for a second._

Becky- Well, we're dead.

Hannah- Open fire!

_The Forrester troops on the ground and on the walls fire at the approaching Valley horde, but the Redclaws and Sunlions in the front hold up their shields. Amaru smirks from the back of the army._

Amaru- Biters! Draw and loose!

_A massive rain of arrows comes flying towards the walls of Forrester._

AJ- Get down!

_The three of them duck down and struggle to avoid the arrows, and Becky sighs._

Becky- You two! Help me with this cannon!

_The trio struggles with the cannon, pulling it in position. Becky pours a large pitcher of poison into it._

Hannah- Ready?

Becky- Firing!

_A massive foam cannonball coated with poison flies out towards the Valley army, scattering some of the Valley troops._

AJ- It's not enough!

_Cut to James and Will._

James- Should we be doing more?

Will- Ooh! I have an idea!

_Will goes over to the intercom microphone._

Will- Doing great, guys!

_We cut to the Forrester troops on the ground, desperately firing at the Valley troops as they get closer and closer._

Carmen- It's pointless!

Mr. Garcia- Just brace for impact!

_The audio cuts out for a few seconds, crashing back in as the Valley army slams into the Forrester troops, a chaotic melee breaking out. We follow Mr. Garcia as he scrambles around, taking down a few Sunlions and rolling to dodge a stray arrow. Another deputy, Emily, manages to end up next to him._

Mr. Garcia- Emily!

Emily- Mr. Garcia! What should we-

_She's knocked out of sight by a Redclaw, and Mr. Garcia narrows his eyes, thinking as the battle rages around him._

Mr. Garcia- Everyone! Retreat!

Gabriel- What? No! We can still hold them off!

Mr. Garcia- I SAID RETREAT!

_His bellowing takes Gabriel aback, and the front line troops quickly begin to retreat around the school to the gate._

Lupa- Don't let them get away! Ravage them!  


_AJ, Hannah, and Becky watch helplessly from the walls as the Maple Valley troops begin to surround the school. Becky pours herself a shot of cyanide and downs it._

Becky- I reiterate my point. We're dead.

AJ- Um… pretty much.

Hannah- No argument here.

_We cut to Lauren slamming her hands down on a table, panning out to see that Charlotte and Lauren are speaking with Dr. Sylvia Charlatane._

Sylvia- Slamming your hands on my table isn't really accomplishing anything, Ms. Lee.

Lauren- I have _never_ been called 'Ms.' in my _life_.

Charlotte- Just answer the question, Dr. Charlatane.

Sylvia- I have no idea where Charles is. Have you lost track of him?

Charlotte- Something like that.

_Sylvia purses her lips._

Sylvia- Well, that's very unfortunate. I was a bit worried when he never came to his next appointment. I'd very much like to see him again…

Lauren- Do you know when he started acting weird?

_Sylvia raises an eyebrow._

Sylvia- What do you mean, _weird_?

Charlotte- He's working against us. Sabotaging our governments.

Sylvia- Well, that's interesting.

Lauren- It's _bad_ is what it is.

Sylvia- Things can be interesting and bad.

Charlotte- Ugh, so you've got nothing for us, Doctor?

Sylvia- I don't think so, Ms. March. Although, I would appreciate it if you'd inform me when you find Charles. I think I can help him understand what exactly might be going on.

_Lauren cracks her knuckles._

Lauren- I might just knock some sense into him.

Sylvia- Well, that's a terrible idea. Just tell me when you locate him… please.

Charlotte- Yeah, yeah, whatever. Come on, Laur.

_The two girls rush out, and Sylvia takes a long sip of tea, her tongue clicking against the roof of her mouth._

Sylvia- _Weird_ , they said…?

_We cut to the battle at Forrester as the Forrester troops rush inside the school, others quickly closing the gate. Becky, AJ, and Hannah are still fighting on the walls as the Valley troops attempt to set up siege ladders, James' voice ringing over the intercom._

James- Do not let them ascend the walls!  


Becky- Oh, really? Thanks for STATING THE OBVIOUS!

_As AJ fires down at the ladders, Becky and Hannah lift up a massive bucket of poison, pouring it down onto the Valley troops._

Becky- Eat poison, Valley scum!

Hannah- You said this was just grease!

Becky- Oh, did I?

AJ- They're still coming up!

_AJ scrambles back as the Valley troops start to ascend, Hannah rushing to his side._

AJ- I can't, I can't, I can't, I can't!

Hannah- Yes! _We_ can!

_AJ's breathing slows and he nods, yelling and charging at the Valley soldiers._

Hannah- I meant that we could make a PLAN or something!

_AJ actually manages to knock back a few Valley soldiers before he's knocked aside by Lupa, who steps onto the walls and stands dramatically on the backs of fallen Forrester soldiers._

Lupa- Did you guys hear my catchy war jingle?

Forrester Soldier- It sucked!

_Lupa immediately whacks the soldier with her spear so hard that he goes flying off the wall and through a classroom window. She grins and gestures for the Redclaws behind her to surge forwards._

Lupa- Valley, let's show these losers how we do things!

_AJ and Hannah quickly scramble away from the horde as Becky calmly backs up, taking out numerous soldiers with her dart gun until an arrow flies past her shoulder. She turns to see Amaru climbing onto the walls, a broad smile on his face._

Amaru- I missed on purpose, lovely maiden of the poison!

Becky- Ew, not you again.

Amaru- At the Valley, we believe the battlefield is the best place to spark true romance!

_He walks up to Becky, offering her a flower. She takes off one of the petals and eats it._

Becky- This is unbelievably toxic.

Amaru- Only the best for you!

Becky- No, I meant this relationship.

_Becky fires a dart at Amaru, but he jumps back._

Amaru- Ah, I see. You need a love who can prove himself to you in battle! My mother was the same way.

Becky- How did that end up?

Amaru- She almost married a squirrel with a knife.

_Others try to approach Becky, but Amaru shoos them away._

Amaru- Pay no mind here! Lover's quarrel.

Becky- If by lover's quarrel you mean that I'm Henry the Eighth and you're Anne Boleyn.

_A figure leaps up onto the walls, pole-vaulting down to the ground and making a beeline for Mr. Garcia. When the camera focuses, we see Mr. Garcia facing down his son Julio, angrily pointing a staff at him._

Julio- Hey, dad.

Mr. Garcia- Never thought I'd see the day when my son would be sieging me.

Julio- Got any fatherly affection to spare now?

_Mr. Garcia pumps his rifle._

Mr. Garcia- I might give you some if you can beat me.

Julio- Trust me, I'll be less than affectionate with you.

Mr. Garcia- You really are your father's son, Julio.

_We cut to James and Will freaking out in their office, James fiddling with his new leader pin._

Will- I'm starting to think that things might be getting bad.

James- You're _starting_ to think!?

Will- I was trying to be positive!

James- They're swarming the courtyard!  


Will- It's okay, it's okay. We're safe up here…

_Lupa's voice rings out from below._

Lupa- Fetch the trampoline!

James- Fetch the wh-

_James is interrupted by Lupa crashing through the window, blowing her hair back and posing._

James- AAAAAAAAAH!

_He runs out of breath._

Will- I'll take over! AAAAAAAAAH!

Lupa- Please, please, save your applause.

_She pauses._

Lupa- Actually, give it to me now. You won't have another chance.

_She laughs maniacally and spins her spear, chasing after James and Will as they rush out of the office._

Lupa- Come back, boys!

_We cut to Hannah and AJ sprinting across the wall as fighting rages all around Forrester._

AJ- Where should we go?

Hannah- I don't know, I _don't know_.

_They're stopped by a Sunlion, but AJ growls and slams into him with his sword, knocking him off the wall._

AJ- This is our _school_ , Hannah! We have to fight for it! We can't just-

_AJ's knocked to the ground as Karasu leaps down on top of him._

Hannah- AJ!

_Hannah knocks Karasu back, who glares at both of them._

Hannah- Su…

Karasu- You don't call me that anymore.

_Karasu chases Hannah and AJ down, clashing with them and eventually disarming them. They kick AJ to the side and jump down on top of Hannah._

Hannah- You don't want Forrester!

Karasu- _I_ don't.

Hannah- What do you mean?

Karasu- Just run away while you still can…

AJ- Get _off_ of her!

_AJ tackles Karasu, the two of them tumbling on the ground before Karasu pushes off of him into the air, disappearing into a cloud of smoke. AJ quickly scrambles to his feet._

AJ- Where are they?!

_Hannah sharply inhales and points at the closed gate of Forrester. Hannah and AJ watch in horror as Karasu drops down, smashing the control panel of the gate and letting in the veritable horde of Valley troops, glaring at Hannah and AJ all the while._

AJ- We… we can still fight…

_Hannah breathes slowly, narrowing her eyes._

Hannah- I know. Come on.

_Hannah pulls AJ along, and we cut to the battle at Forrester being broadcast on a TV screen in the Corrigan Correctional Facility._

Viewer- Those darn kids are at it again.

_The camera pans to reveal Charlotte and Lauren speaking with Angela._

Angela- Of course you'd only come see me when you have a problem to solve.

Charlotte- Consider it a compliment that you were the person we thought of.

Angela- You sure it has nothing to do with the fact that all our other friends are under siege?

Charlotte- You got us. Now help us with this.

Angela- So you're after the hot Valley kid?

Lauren- His name is Charlie.

Angela- Whatever, we only met briefly in the Halloween special.

Charlotte- He's working with the enemy.

Lauren- Probably.

Angela- And who's the enemy?

_Charlotte and Lauren glance at each other._

Charlotte- Um… Edward?

_Angela laughs._

Angela- That boy's no mastermind.

Lauren- He's a beast is what he is.

Angela- A beast with a master.

Charlotte- The Whisperer…

Angela- He's always around. He'll strike if you let your guard down for even a second. Look what happened to me.

Lauren- I'm not going to juvie. I'll make a deal with the government to be used as a living weapon for the military.

Angela- I'm too pretty for the military.

Charlotte- Lauren's not?

_Angela dramatically gasps._

Angela- Oh- _oh_?

_Charlotte flushes._

Charlotte- Just help us figure out how we can find him!

Angela- Well, if he's working with the bad guys, then he was probably involved with that little uprising at Woodsworth.

Lauren- We don't have security camera footage of it.

Angela- But your students disappeared, right?

Charlotte- Right…

Angela- And wherever they're being held probably has some information, right?

Charlotte- Right…

Angela- And you have that-

Charlotte- The phone tracker! Of course!

Angela- Oh. I was going to suggest you rent a dog to sniff them out, but that works too.

_Charlotte pulls up her phone and Lauren leans over her shoulder._

Lauren- What do you see?!  


Angela- Please don't just rush out once you-

  
_Charlotte gasps._

Lauren- What?!

Charlotte- They never left the school…

_Charlotte quickly gets up, pulling Lauren with her as they rush out. Angela sighs._

Angela- Bye to you guys too.

_We cut to Forrester, where Hannah and AJ are sprinting across the walls. They mostly avoid the various skirmishes occurring, but do manage to take out a few lone Valley soldiers._

AJ- Where are we going!?

Hannah- To the armory! We can get something that can pack a punch there!

_They make it to the stairs, scrambling down. They hear a loud noise and look to see Richard and some Sunlions riding in on their horses, who, may I remind you, are two children in a horse costume. Richard points at the two of them._

Richard- After them!

AJ- Back off, wannabe Charlie!

Richard- This land shall become part of the Valley!

Hannah- That's literally impossible! Maple Valley is called the Valley because it has a lower elevation than the rest of Ashmount!

Richard- Erm, what?

AJ- While you were learning sword-fighting, _she_ was taking geography.

Richard- Loser.

Hannah- It's a PRACTICAL SUBJECT!

_The camera pans inside the top floor of Forrester, where James and Will are currently running from a cackling Lupa._

James- We can give you your own theater, Lupa!

Will- Pay people to watch you!

Lupa- All the world's a stage, gentlemen!

_She chucks her spear at James' legs, causing him to stumble and trip over himself. Will gasps and turns to face Lupa, holding up a paintball pistol._

Lupa- Aren't you going to run, little autocrat?

Will- I'm not leaving him.

Lupa- Ooh, the drama! If I was playing by the usual conventions, I might even let you win…

_She raises her spear._

Lupa- But this isn't one of my movies…

_Suddenly, several pens fly into Lupa's sleeve, pinning her to the wall. As Lupa pulls herself free, Abby walks into frame, wearing diamond-studded silver armor with Nate holding out a fan in front of her so her hair blows back._

James- Abby…?

Abby- Oh, rest assured, boys, this isn't for you. This is my community service for the month.

_She pulls a giant sharpened pen from her back._

Abby- Here's a tip from a journalist. Get out on the battlefield. Might help your image if you're not sitting in an ivory tower.

_Will nods, pulling James up and running away. Abby and Lupa circle each other._

Lupa- Well, you've got style for sure.

Abby- My style's great. You'll find my substance is much less pretty.

_They clash for a bit before Abby pulls away._

Lupa- Where did a journalist learn how to fight?

_Abby smirks._

Abby- The truth hurts, babe. Sometimes it even kills.

_The girls clash, and we cut to Becky watching them through the windows from the corner of her eye as she lazily fires at Amaru, who is vigorously shooting arrows in ridiculous poses._

Amaru- How am I doing, my love? Feeling the spark yet?

Becky- Yes! Oh, wait, no. It was just heartburn.

_Becky rolls her eyes and lowers her dart gun._

Becky- Okay, we're done here. And I think my bosses are getting away. Maybe you should chase them or whatever.

Amaru- Does this mean I've won your undying love?

Becky- You've won my undying impatience.

_Amaru cheers and begins to sprint away._

Amaru- Huzzah! A step in the right direction!

Becky- It's _really_ not.

_She chuckles._

Becky- Almost pity the boy sometimes.

_We cut to Hannah and AJ barely outrunning the Valley cavalry._

Richard- Forrester will fall and-

Hannah and AJ- Shut up!

AJ- We're almost there!

_They reach the armory, but the Sunlions are gaining on them. Suddenly, Emily the deputy drops in._

Emily- Don't worry, guys! I'll protect you!

Hannah- Emily!  


_Emily is immediately trampled by the cavalry._

Hannah and AJ- AAAAAH!

_Hannah kicks the people in the horse costume in their shins, causing them to buck Richard off._

Richard- Agh! You Forrestites are _dead_!

AJ- I'll take him!

_Hannah rushes inside to the armory while AJ and Richard duel._

Richard- You're pathetic.

AJ- Pathetically _awesome_!

Richard- That's stupid.

AJ- Stupidly _awesome_!

Richard- Ugh, will you just-

_AJ tackles Richard and they roll around like fighting cats until Richard pins AJ against a wall._

AJ- Charlie showed me photos of you in a sweatervest and they sucked!  


Richard- Those were PRIVATE PORTRAITS!

Hannah- Hey!

_Richard turns to see Hannah holding a large gun._

Richard- Silly girl. Firearms are uncivilized w-

_Hannah fires, and we get a slow motion shot of the round projectile hitting Richard and erupting in a geyser of paint that sends him flying halfway across the school._

AJ- Whoa…

Hannah- I almost feel bad.

AJ- Don't.

_Hannah tosses AJ the other gun, and they go back to back as Valley soldiers surround them. Several paint geysers later, they're on top._

AJ- Nice! We can still win this thing!  


James- AJ!

_James and Will run towards AJ and Hannah, clearly out of their element._

Hannah- Where were you guys!?

James- Important tactical business.

Will- Running away from Lupa.

Hannah- Well, that can't be helped now. But we need to-

_A loud crash sounds out, and as they whirl around to locate the sound, they notice cracks spreading in one area of the wall as another crash sounds out._

James- They wouldn't…

AJ- Clearly, you don't know the Valley all that well. They absolutely would.

_With another crash of the battering ram, an entire section of the wall surrounding Forrester crashes in as a massive group of Valley soldiers start charging through. The four of them are horrified._

Hannah- Um… any tactical advice now?

James- Run.

_We cut to Charlotte and Lauren doing just that in the Woodsworth courtyard, coming up to a door with four guards blocking the way._

Charlotte- Let us in.

Guard- Sorry, ladies, there's cleaning going on inside and-

Charlotte- LET US IN!  


_The guards immediately pull pistols on the girls, and Lauren takes them out in one swoops, yanking the door open as Charlotte rushes inside, staring at her phone._

Lauren- Quickly! Who knows how many traitors are coming for us!

Charlotte- I'm trying, I'm trying! It says that the cluster of phones should be right by us!

Lauren- Well, I don't see anything!  


_The girls look at each other._

Charlotte and Lauren- Underground.

_We cut to them arriving at the elevator to the Whisperer's previous lair, going down as quickly as possible. As soon as they descend, they're met with hostile guards._

Guard- Intruder!

_Lauren and Charlotte open fire on them quickly, rushing through the hallways underneath Woodsworth._

Lauren- How close are we?!

Charlotte- Close, close!

_They arrive in front of a guarded door._

Guard- No further.

_Charlotte narrows her eyes._

Charlotte- You've infiltrated my school, stolen my students, and _ruined_ my sleep schedule! I've been living on coffee for WEEKS!

_She kicks the guard in the head, knocking her out cold. Lauren throws open the door to reveal a large group of prisoners._

Prisoners- Ch…Charlotte? Is that you?

Charlotte- It's the students… are you alright?

Prisoners- We're-

Charlotte- Whatever. Who did this to you?

_Lauren finishes counting the students._

Lauren- Char, this isn't nearly the number of students we lost. Where's the rest of them?

  
Charlie- Right here.

_The girls whirl around to see Charlie and Edward backed up by an entourage of Woodsworth soldiers. Lauren immediately goes to punch Charlie but Edward knocks her into the back wall._

Charlotte- Hey!

Charlie- Stay still unless you want worse.

_Charlotte freezes._

Charlotte- H-how are this many of my students traitors?

Charlie- Oh, only a small amount were. The rest required some convincing…

Charlotte- You mean brainwashing.

Charlie- Oh, relax, it was more like indoctrination. I've been through much worse.

Charlotte- Are you working with the Whisperer?

_Charlie is taken aback by the question._

Charlie- N-no. I… I hate him.

Charlotte- That's one thing we have in common.

_Lauren gets up and immediately goes for another punch._

Lauren- You backstabbing snake!

_Edward grabs both of the girls, tying them up with his surprisingly nimble fingers and tossing them in the back of the room._

Lauren- Get back here! What happened to Valley honor?!

_Charlie ignores her._

Charlie- I'll see you girls. I have an important appointment. It's a shame you all will miss it.

_Lauren's eyes widen._

Lauren- _You all_?

_Charlie sharply inhales._

Charlie- _Y'all_. I meant y'all.

_Edward slams the door, and we cut to James, Will, Hannah, AJ, and Becky with a small regiment of Forrester troops as they're cornered by the massive Valley army._

Becky- Would you blame me if I defected?

Will- Worse. I'd sue you.

James- AJ, I actually really care about you and I'm sorry if I never gave you the respect you deserve.

AJ- You're the best dictator I ever had!

_James and AJ hug._

Hannah- Guys… I'm really grateful for my time at Forrester.

Becky- I'm not.

James- Shut up, Becky.

_Lupa emerges from the crowd, carrying Abby by her hair._

Abby- Owowow!

Lupa- Just agree to write good reviews for my plays!  


Abby- I'll never give up my last shred of integrity. It's the only thing that keeps my blackened heart beating!

AJ- M-maybe things won't be so bad with the Valley ruling us. We can work out together and do cool fighting stuff.

Will- I'm too _pretty_ for cool fighting stuff!

_A horn sounds out and the Valley turns as they're taken from behind in a massive attack._

Hannah- What…?

_James spots a familiar dark green uniform on the troops._

Will- It's Woodsworth troops! We're saved!

_Karasu is fighting alongside some Nightfeather soldiers._

Karasu- Retreat!

Soldier- What, no!? We still have fight left in us!  


_Karasu grabs the soldier, hissing in his ear._

Karasu- I said retreat.

_Slowly, the Forrester gang watches as the Valley starts to filter out of Forrester, Lupa really hamming it up._

Lupa- Oh, no! Defeat is unbearable!

James- They're… they're retreating.

AJ- Guys! There!

_AJ points and we see a familiar figure at the head of the Woodsworth army. A smiling figure: Charlie._

_End episode._


	75. Rule the School S3E17

**Episode Seventeen: It All Goes Wrong**

Synopsis: Forrester and Maple Valley engage in tense negotiations after the battle; Charlotte and Lauren work to escape and expose the truth.

_We open on a slow pan through Forrester in the aftermath of the battle. The wall has a massive hole in it, troops lie unconscious on the ground, and Woodsworth soldiers step through it all. James, Will, AJ, Hannah, and Becky stand on the walls, breathing heavily as they stare at a grinning Charlie. There's a tense silence as they stare at each other for a few seconds before Abby leaps up in front of Charlie, somehow having changed into a fluffy wool jacket._

Abby- Would you look at that, folks? Forrester's been saved by the forces of Woodsworth, led by one Charlie Notch making his triumphant return to school politics! Our savior, everyone! Got anything to say to the people?

_Charlie brushes aside the microphone, beginning to walk towards the Forrester gang._

Charlie- Maybe a bit later, miss. I have some business to work out.

_He whispers to Abby._

Charlie- But feel free to spread the word to the students.

_Abby winks and turns to other Forrester students._

Abby- Charlie Notch just saved us all from certain doom! Isn't he a peach?

_Charlie arrives in front of the Forrester gang, clearly enjoying their shocked expressions._

AJ- Charlie…

Charlie- In the flesh. Can't I at least get a smile?

Hannah- You… you saved us.

Charlie- Course I did. Couldn't just let my friends beat up my other friends.

James- Where…where…

Charlie- Didn't catch that, Jamie.

Will- _Don't_ call him Jamie.

James- WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?!

Charlie- Jeez, man, slow your roll. I came back when you needed me to, didn't I. I've just spending my time dealing with stuff, you know? Working out everything in my brain.

Will- And you couldn't step in when the Valley declared war? You _are_ supposed to be their leader.

Charlie- Oh, trust me, I tried, but at that point they were too far into it. Us Valley kids can get _very_ heated, trust me.

Becky- You guys are _picky_. I'm just happy we made it out.

Hannah- You? Happy?

Becky- Relatively, that is.

James- And the Woodsworth troops?

Charlie- Courtesy of Charlotte and Lauren. They wish they could be here, but they're dealing with some sort of traitorous uprising at Woodsworth. They even had to put down that device from Mr. Liev so no messages can get out. Nothing they can’t handle, though.

AJ- So they sent _you_?

_Charlie grins._

Charlie- I mean, it worked, didn't it?

_James narrows his eyes._

James- There's a situation at Woodsworth? I think we might need to head over there right-

Charlie- Oh, I don't think that would be wise.

Will- And _why's_ that?

Charlie- Well… the Valley troops are still nearby.

_Charlie leans in._

Charlie- And who _knows_ what they could do to Forrester if you left.

_James goes pale. There's some silence._

Becky- Well, I'm going to start organizing whatever troops we have left.

_Becky heads out._

Charlie- I'd better go talk to the Valley.

Will- About _what_?

_Charlie winks._

Charlie- Peace talks… what else would I talk to them about?

_Charlie exits through the hole in the wall, and the others immediately glance at each other._

Will- You remember that message Charlotte and Lauren sent about Charlie, right?

AJ- Something was _definitely_ off. I got really weird vibes.

Hannah- And look at the Woodsworth troops…

_They look to see the troops looking blank-faced._

James- Something's going on with them. And they came here under his command.

Will- Not to mention the Valley troops surrounding us. Forrester's army is _decimated_. There's no way we can stand up to them.

Hannah- And what about Charlotte and Lauren?

AJ- What if we got Charlie and the Valley kids alone? We could question them without all their troops around.

James- And if we had to capture them? Their armies would fight back.

Will- Hostage situation, maybe?

AJ- If we salvaged what troops we have, we might be able to defend ourselves for enough time to get them agree to peace. And I mean _agree_.

James- A Parliamentary contract? There's a reason nobody signs those anymore. They're _binding_.

Hannah- You're saying you might want to conquer the Valley in the future?

James- Well, _maybe_ …

Will- I'm with them. A Parliamentary contract is the only surefire way to end this forever.

James- I need more convincing.

_Will gives James a kiss on the cheek._

Will- Hm?

James- I, um, I…

_Will gives James another kiss._

James- I hate you so much…

_We cut to Charlie walking towards the forest, enveloped by trees as he enters. There, he's greeted by the Valley encampment, where Karasu, Amaru, Lupa, and Richard are waiting._

Lupa- Look who's back!

Charlie- Good to see you too, guys!

Richard- Sir, I don't suppose that you can keep me in charge of the Sunlions-

Charlie- You're demoted.

_Richard sticks out his tongue._

Richard- Ugh. _Fine_.

_Richard walks away._

Amaru- Oh, that battle got my blood boiling!

Karasu- He got to talk to that girl he's crushing on.

Amaru- She's a toxin of dazzling proportions…

Charlie- Well, you did _great_ in that battle. Completely crushed most of their troops!

Lupa- I assume you have a plan past this point, or do we just make a dramatic exit?

Charlie- Oh… I have a plan.

_We see Richard talking with Rita and Xander._

Richard- Not that I was _expecting_ to remain in charge, but-

Rita- Richard!

Richard- What?

Rita- Don't you think there's something off about Charlie?

Xander- Not that I didn't thoroughly enjoy the battle, but what exactly was it all for?

Richard- We're shaking off the oppressive fist of Forrester!

Rita- See, that sounds like it should be a good thing.

  
Richard- It is!

Rita- Then why doesn't it feel like it…?

_Back to the leaders._

Karasu- Charlie… do we have to worry about Woodsworth at all?

_Charlie waves it off._

Charlie- Don't even _think_ about Woodsworth. I have it under control.

_We cut to Charlotte and Lauren locked underneath Woodsworth along with a few un-brainwashed Woodsworth soldiers._

Charlotte- Agh! Let us out!

_Lauren struggles against the ropes._

Lauren- Come _on_!

Soldier- It's no use…

Charlotte- How are you the only ones left? Are all the others traitors?

Soldier- No… they were taken off to some sort of brainwashing… at least most of them. The Hidden Whispers have been around since the beginning, I think…

Charlotte- _How_ could we let all this happen under our noses?!

Lauren- Relax, Char. We're going to get out of here.

Charlotte- Oh, yeah? How's that?

Lauren- Can you reach my back pocket?

_Charlotte struggles for it, straining against the ropes._

Charlotte- Ugh, I thought being a leader was supposed to bring a certain dignity to it.

Lauren- Dignity's overrated. We're going to _win._ That's much more important.

Charlotte- Charlie… I can't believe he would betray us.

Lauren- That… that can't have been Charlie.

Charlotte- I know you liked him, but-

Lauren- No, Char. Trust me on this one. That _can't_ have been him. He didn't even say y'all.

Charlotte- Well, that's true.

Lauren- If our soldiers can be brainwashed, so can he.

Charlotte- And if he's not brainwashed?

_Lauren pauses._

Lauren- Just get into my back pocket.

Charlotte- I'm _trying_.

_Charlotte finally manages to reach inside._

Charlotte- Got it.

Lauren- Good…

_Charlotte pulls out a small pocketknife._

Charlotte- Nice.

Lauren- I come prepared.

_We cut to the Forrester gang waiting outside the forest, the deputies there as backup. There's a rustling in the forest._

James- Will you lay down your lives for us if need be?

Carmen- Definitely not.

Gabriel- Not in a thousand years.

_James deflates, but he's interrupted as Charlie, Lupa, Amaru, and Karasu emerge from the forest._

Becky- Everyone written their wills?

AJ- I'm leaving everything to you, James.

James- That's stupid. If you die, I'm likely to as well.

AJ- Good point…

Hannah- Can we just stop stressing and get this over with?

Will- _Sorry_ if we're a bit scared, but I think it's _quite_ understandable.

Hannah- Just come on.

_They meet the Valley students and they stare each other down, the Valley kids looking bemused._

Will- Um… hi. Welcome to Forrester. Hopefully this parlay will be a little more successful than our last one.

Charlie- Oh, don't worry, they're softies at heart. Very easy to talk to.

James- Well, that's good. In that case, we'd like to propose something. And this is the only path of negotiations we're willing to agree to. We are putting our foot down.

Will- Yes we are! Doing great, Jamie.

James- We would like to propose a-

Lupa- A Parliamentary contract. We accept.

James- A Parliamentary contract! Wait, what?

Amaru- We would be honored to negotiate a contract with you.

Karasu- We'll do your stupid paper thing.

Will- Um… great. That's an awfully fast switcheroo.

Lupa- Look, Cross, we're the Valley. We get violent fast, and without Charlie, we were all a little heated.

Amaru- But with our Little Lion back, we're ready to stop this nonsense.

AJ- That still seems a little-

Karasu- What, you'd prefer we attack you again?

AJ- No, no, no…

Charlie- You're welcome, gang. Told you I could talk to them.

_Charlie winks._

James- Um, right, then… should we go and begin the negotiations. No troops, no weapons.

Lupa- Afraid that won't work.

Charlie- Weapons are a part of our Valley culture. Surely you understand.

Will- Right. And if weapons are a part of your culture, then bringing in some armed guards is part of our culture.

Amaru- Be our guest. As long as we can negotiate in peace.

Becky- Speaking of which, I'd better go start making sure there's guards outside the school just to make sure no attackers get in. Mr. Garcia, come with.

_Becky and Mr. Garcia exit._

Will- Aw, she's helping without even being asked.

Hannah- She's not that bad once you get to know her.

Lupa- So, babes… are we doing this?

_James and Will nervously glance at each other._

James- Right this way…

_They turn and begin to walk into the school, and we cut to outside Charlotte and Lauren's room underneath Woodsworth. Two Hidden Whispers are standing there on guard when a vent moves out of position. The door handle begins to jiggle as something slams against it._

Guard- Keep it down in there!

Guard Two- How long do we have to keep them here for?

Guard- Um… I think forever?

Charlotte- Not anymore.

_The guards whirl around to see Charlotte jumping out of the vent, kicking them in the face and knocking them out fast._

Charlotte- Next time, don't lock up your dictator.

_Charlotte goes to open the door just as Lauren runs at it, causing her to run right into Charlotte and accidentally tackling her._

Charlotte- Agh!

Lauren- Ugh…

Charlotte- You want to get off of me now?

Lauren- I'm _tired_. Can't I stay a bit longer?

_Charlotte flushes and pushes Lauren off of her, and we cut to the two of them sneaking around Woodsworth. As a group of guards walk around a corner, the girls ambush them and knock them out. Charlotte is tapping on her phone._

Charlotte- Ugh, no messages are going through. Stupid LievTech blockade.

Lauren- Forrester's not that far. We can get there if we just-

_A crash sounds out and Charlotte and Lauren turn to each other._

Lauren- What was that?

Charlotte- We probably don't want to know. Get to the docks.

_The two girls start running, Lauren taking out guards along the way as more crashes sound out._

Lauren- It sounds like it's getting _closer_ , Char!

Charlotte- Just-

_She's interrupted by a louder crash as a wall near the girls is smashed in. Lauren instinctively pulls Charlotte to her, shielding her from the small piece of debris._

Lauren- Are you okay?!

Charlotte- Lauren…

_The girls turn to see a familiar large figure standing in the hole in the wall: Edward. Lauren pulls Charlotte back as he growls._

Lauren- _Come on_ …

_The girls take off, and we cut to inside the Forrester auditorium, where James, Will, AJ, and Hannah are sitting with the deputies minus Mr. Garcia. Charlie, Lupa, Amaru, and Karasu are sitting opposite them, and the Parliamentarian is speaking to them, backed up by the White Guard._

Parliamentarian- Now, before you all engage in this _very_ serious measure, allow me to remind you of the terms of Parliamentary contracts.

James- We already know this stuff, Parliamentarian.

Parliamentarian- But the audience doesn't. The terms of a Parliamentary contract must be within the ability of the involved parties to enforce. Contracts are made null once either party no longer has the ability to enforce the terms, such as when they lose control of a school. Alternatively, contracts can be annulled by a mutual agreement from both involved parties at a later date. Until then, the terms of the contract will be _permanently_ enforced by the Ashmount Parliaments and the White Guard.

Lupa- Blah, blah, blah. _Boring_.

Parliamentarian- Feel free to begin your negotiations now. Remember to be very specific with your wording.

Charlie- Fire away, Forrestites. We'll make edits where we see fit.

James- Erm, alright then. We were thinking something along the lines of 'Forrester and Maple Valley will never make an assault or attempt to conquer each other's land for as long as this contract is valid.'

Amaru- Where's the line between Forrester and Valley territory? The forest seems like a bit of a gray area.

Will- Well, it's only right for us to take more.

Karasu- Oh? And why's that?

Will- Well, the contract is only valid as long as we all stay leaders, so it makes sense for us to get a little compensation. You know, because the Valley's so…

Lupa- So _what_ , Cross?

James- Unstable. The Valley's unstable.

Charlie- Well, that's just uncalled for.

_Karasu fingers their blade, much to the nervousness of the Forrester gang._

Hannah- Calm down, guys. We can reach a consensus here.

Lupa- Maybe we want all the land in the forest, huh!

James- Well, you won't be _getting_ it.

_Tensions start to rise between the groups, and we cut to Becky walking out of Forrester, the clack of her heels the only sound we hear. Another clacking joins in as Abby joins Becky._

Abby- You handled security?

Becky- I made a few extra calls for good measure.

_Abby winks._

Abby- See you on the other side, Poller.

Becky- Pleasure doing business with you.

_Abby sheds her wool jacket to reveal a fur jumpsuit underneath, almost as if she was a WOLF IN SHEEP'S CLOTHING. We cut back to inside the auditorium._

Karasu- You insult the Valley and our culture and you expect us to sign a deal with you?

James- We _expect_ you to be reasonable!

Lupa- Well, that's a big ask!

Charlie- Everyone, everyone, calm down…

_The Valley immediately quiets._

AJ- Please tell me you have a solution, Charlie. All this yelling is creating a _very_ stressful atmosphere.

_Charlie grins._

Charlie- I have a solution of sorts. We won't be signing a contract all.

Will- WHAT?!

Charlie- Now, now, calm down… everything will be just fine. It'll be better in fact.

_There's tense silence as Charlie looks around expectedly._

Charlie- Just a second.

_We cut to Becky and Abby walking down the stairs._

Becky- Whoops. Almost forgot.

_Becky pulls out a large red button and presses it, and we cut to inside Forrester as green gas explodes out all around the school, directly into the auditorium. The Forrester kids turn around, wide-eyed, as the gas washes over them, coughing and hacking. The Valley kids don gas masks._

Hannah- Wh…what!?

James- Get to the door!

Charlie- Oh, it won't do you any use… but you can certainly try.

Will- Deputies! Defend us!

_We cut to outside Forrester, where Mr. Garcia is at the door with some Forrester guards as the gas explodes out._

Guard- What was that? What's-

_Mr. Garcia slams his rifle into their heads, knocking them out quickly. He presses on an earpiece._

Mr. Garcia- All clear.

_Woodsworth and Valley troops, all wearing gas masks, immediately begin charging in as Mr. Garcia opens the doors to Forrester. What little remaining Forrester troops there are move in to engage them as chaos erupts. We cut back to Becky looking back at the school, now with gas streaming out of every window. She narrows her eyes and turns around, strutting away with the school framed behind her. We cut to Charlotte and Lauren sprinting through Woodsworth as Edward gives chase to them._

Charlotte- Of _course_ he's here!

Lauren- I can take him.

Charlotte- Evidently, that's not the case.

Lauren- Have a little faith!

_Edward chucks a school bench at the girls, and they scramble around a corner to avoid it._

Charlotte- Or we could just RUN!

Lauren- Fair.

_Edward charges around the corner like a raging bull, tossing other soldiers to the side in his pursuit of the girls._

Charlotte- Door! There!

_Lauren yanks open the door._

Lauren- Go! Go!

_The girls rush through the door and start to head for the stairs down to the dock before Charlotte's eyes widen._

Charlotte- Lauren…

_Lauren follows her gaze to Forrester, where the gas is visibly wafting into the air._

Lauren- Forrester…

Charlotte- They need help.

Lauren- Ugh, do we _have_ to?

Charlotte- Regrettably, yes-

_Edward bursts through the wall next to the doors instead of using the doors like a normal person. Charlotte and Lauren rush down the stairs and to the dock._

Charlotte- To the yacht!

_Edward chucks a statue at the girls that splinters on the ground, causing Charlotte trip up._

Charlotte- Agh!

_Lauren skids to a halt as Edward catches up with them, shoving Charlotte behind her._

Lauren- Get to the boat.

Charlotte- Lauren, _no_.

Lauren- Go! I told you… I can take him.

Charlotte- You also told me that you'd be fine jumping out of a three story building.

Lauren- This is different!  


_The girls lock eyes._

Lauren- Trust me.

_Charlotte reluctantly nods._

Charlotte- I'll kill you if you're not okay.

_Charlotte rushes to the yacht as Lauren narrows her eyes at Edward._

Lauren- Hey, Eddy. Feeling any more talkative today…?

_Edward growls, pounding his fists together._

Edward- Lee…

Lauren- That's my name.

_She clenches her fists._

Lauren- Don't wear it out.

_We cut to inside Forrester, where AJ and Hannah are stumbling through the hallways wheezing as chaos rages around them._

AJ- Wh-where's James?! Where's Will?

Hannah- I don't know, AJ!

_Hannah spots some Woodsworth soldiers._

Hannah- Come on!

AJ- What are we-

Hannah- Check my purse!

_AJ rummages in Hannah's purse and pulls out an oversized mallet._

AJ- Do I want to ask where you got this?

Hannah- Just give it to me!

_Hannah grabs the mallet and knocks out the Woodsworth soldiers, scrambling to grab their gas masks as she coughs._

Hannah- Put one on!

_Hannah and AJ quickly put on the gas masks, finally stopping their coughing after a while. They sigh in relief._

AJ- What… what's happening…

Hannah- D-don't worry about it. Worry about getting out of it.

AJ- It's hard NOT to worry about-

_AJ's interrupted by Karasu leaping down in front of them and kicking him back._

AJ- Agh!

Karasu- Found you…

Hannah- AH!

_Hannah swipes at Karasu with her mallet, and Karasu kicks her in the wrist to disarm her, although they seem surprised._

Karasu- Quick to violence, aren't you?

Hannah- Can you blame me?!

Karasu- Don't take it personally, Hannah. Just ending Forrester imperialism.

Hannah- Don't use a legitimate issue to mask your true intentions! You know that Charlie's acting off! He attacked the deputies!

Karasu- Oh, I know. I was there.

Hannah- You… you were?

_Karasu kicks Hannah to the ground and AJ tries to leap to his feet._

AJ- Get away!  


_Karasu smacks him away, advancing threateningly._

Hannah- What, you're just going to occupy Forrester forever? Keep us all as labor or force us to fight for your amusement?

Karasu- That does sound like something Lupa would do.

Hannah- We can work this out! You know we can! James and Will were willing to sign a binding contract! Does that sound like something they'd normally do?

_Karasu falters._

Karasu- Just… just get out of here. Sneak out the doors and go get homeschooled. This is your only chance.

Hannah- Wait, Su!

_Karasu disappears, and Hannah growls._

AJ- Hannah, come on! We have to get up!

_Hannah rises to her feet._

Hannah- _Where's_ Charlie…?

_We cut to James and Will running through the halls, grabbing gas masks from fallen soldiers to put on._

James- H-how did this happen? Howhowhowhowhow…

Will- Just stick close, James. We can-

_They're overrun by a group of various soldiers, and the camera gets jumbled as, in the confusion, James crawls out, frantically scrambling away._

James- Will! Will! Where are you? P-please! Where are you?

_The only sound he hears is Abby's voice as screens lower around the school to display a video of her._

Abby- Forrester students, you are being liberated by the Valley. Isn't it great? I know there might be some slight discomfort right now, but surrender and turn over James and Will and everything will go just fine! Be reasonable, folks.

_James becomes enraged._

James- Shut up, Quill! I… I have to get to the intercom. I have to talk to the people!

_James begins quickly crawling and eventually standing up, but he's pulled back down as something yanks on his leg. He turns back with dread to see Charlie pulling on his ribbon, smiling broadly._

Charlie- There you are, Jamie!

_James desperately tries to pull away, but Charlie's much stronger and he's slowly dragged across the floor._

Charlie- Why don't you just tell me where your little boyfriend is and we can call it a day, yeah?

Will- RIGHT HERE!

_Will jumps on Charlie, slapping at him and pulling his hair._

Charlie- Agh! Not the hair!

Will- BACK OFF MY BOYFRIEND!

_Will pokes Charlie in the eyes and he yowls, throwing Will off of him. When he opens his eyes again, James and Will are gone._

Charlie- Where are they…WHERE ARE THEY?

_He gestures to the soldiers._

Charlie- Find James and Will! Capture them!

_We cut to AJ and Hannah dragging James and Will into a classroom._

AJ- James! Are you okay!

_James wearily nods, draping his arms over AJ._

James- Thank… thank you, AJ.

AJ- Oh, um, it was nothing.

Hannah- You're the leaders. Do we have any plan to actually stop this.

Will- Hannah, I don't know-

James- Intercom.

Will- What?

James- Get me to the intercom.

_AJ and Hannah nod._

AJ- Right.

_We cut to Charlotte sailing the Woodsworth yacht to the Forrester dock, looking gravely at the gas streaming from the building._

Charlotte- Ugh, James, Will…what did you _do_?

_Charlotte folds and pockets her beret and starts tying her hair into a bun._

Charlotte- Oh, of course, _Charlotte_ will fix everything again. As per usual.

_As the yacht approaches the dock, Charlotte hears the click of a gun across from her._

Mr. Garcia- No further.

_Charlotte turns to see Mr. Garcia and the Woodsworth pirates aiming at her._

Charlotte- Mr. Garcia… how many traitors are there?

Lydia- Everyone wants to be on the winning side, babe. Can't blame him.

_Charlotte glares at Mr. Garcia._

Charlotte- Whatever Charlie said to you to make you work for him, we can fix it if we beat him.

Mr. Garcia- That seems unlikely at this point, don't you think?

Quentin- Don't worry, Ms. March. The basement of this yacht is a very spacious prison.

_Charlotte raises an eyebrow._

Charlotte- Lauren's in trouble, Mr. Garcia.

Mr. Garcia- My sheriff is resourceful. She'll be alright.

Charlotte- Are you willing to take that risk?

_Mr. Garcia hardly hesitates before turning on his pirates, firing high speed beanbags into all of their heads and knocking them out._

Charlotte- Whoa.

_Mr. Garcia nods at Charlotte._

Mr. Garcia- Get inside Forrester. I'll help my sheriff.

_Charlotte nods, leaping off the yacht and running towards Forrester. She knocks out some stray soldiers on her way, but as she reaches the door, she gasps and tilts her head to the side, dodging a large rosary bead in slow motion. She slowly turns to see three familiar figures to any Bulletin readers: The Gun Nuns._

Superior- I don't think so.

_Charlotte grits her teeth._

Charlotte- Oh, of _course_.

_She rushes towards them, and the intense music that's been going on abruptly cuts out as we cut to Becky sitting on the desk of the thrift shop talking with Christopher and Sterling._

Christopher- So you set up poison mines all around the school and they never even noticed?!

Becky- Turns out when you do enough of someone's paperwork they forget you exist.

Christopher- Nice, Beck!

Becky- I know, right? And now I get to take Forrester for myself… as long as I let Abby have a media monopoly.

Christopher- Oh, I wish I could have been there! Sounds awesome!  


Becky- You should head over to the Valley once this is all over. Seems like your type of place.

Christopher- Violent?

Becky- Very.

Christopher- I like.

_Sterling coughs._

Sterling- Lackey.

Becky- What was that, Price?

Sterling- Oh, nothing. Glad to see you're still playing lackey to smarter people.

Becky- Oh, shut up. This is different.

Sterling- Oh, really? How's that? I thought you'd gone all corporate, but I guess you really haven't changed since working for me.

Becky- I'm not a _lackey_. I'm going to rule Forrester by the end of this.

Sterling- I recall promising you Forrester as well. Look how that turned out.

Christopher- Oh, don't listen to him. Any idea what's happening to James and Will and the rest?

_Becky wavers._

Becky- Um… they'll be fine. Or not. Not like I care.

Sterling- Trading in one master for another.

Becky- They weren't my masters, they were my _bosses_. I was _this_ close to getting a salary.

Christopher- Well, then it just sounds like you're downgrading.

Sterling- Lackey.

_Becky angrily stands up._

Becky- I am _not_ a lackey!

_Becky storms out of the store._

Christopher- Where's she going?

Sterling- A dramatic resolution to a character arc, I assume?

Christopher- What's a character arc?

Sterling- Something we're not privileged enough to possess.

_We cut to Lauren and Edward dueling on the docks. Edward splinters a wooden plank with a punch, and Lauren jumps forward, socking him in the face. He grabs her and slams her down, and she spits in his face._

Lauren- Back off, loser!  


_Lauren kicks right for his kneecaps and he reflexively kicks her off the dock._

Lauren- Agh!  


_Lauren clings to the bottom of the dock, pulling herself under and over the other side to charge Edward with her shoulder. He turns and clenches her hands in his, and the two of them struggle for a bit. Lauren is forced to her knees and eventually onto her back, and Edward's eyes go wide with rage._

Edward- LEE…

_A horn sounds out._

Mr. Garcia- Sheriff!

_Edward turns to see Mr. Garcia driving the Forrester yacht directly for the dock. It crashes right into the dock, sending Lauren and Edward flying back. Lauren scrambles to her feet._

Lauren- Mr. Garcia!

Mr. Garcia- Come on! Quickly!

_Lauren scrambles for the yacht as Edward rises to his feet. Lauren leaps over onto the deck, but Edward leaps after her as Mr. Garcia tries to pull the yacht away, gripping onto the yacht and pulling himself up. Mr. Garcia supports Lauren and pulls out his rifle._

Mr. Garcia- Think we can take him?

_Lauren grins._

Lauren- A sheriff and her loyal deputy? He never stood a chance.

_We cut to Charlotte running outside the walls of Forrester, the Gun Nuns in hot pursuit._

Beth- Get _back_ here, little Moron!

Charlotte- Ugh, who even hired you? I thought you weren't supposed to interfere with school business!

Superior- We received a generous donation outside of the café to take care of you. And once you're dealt with, who's gonna tell the Shopmaster we broke a tiny little rule?

Charlotte- Oh, I imagine he won't take kindly to you breaking your contract and accepting paid mercenary work elsewhere.

Luna- Talking won't save you, March.

Charlotte- It is buying me time, though.

_Luna throws some communion wafers at Charlotte, who rolls to the side and tackles Sister Luna, rolling for a bit before she's pulled off by Sister Beth and slammed against a wall. The other two Sisters approach._

Beth- End of the line.

_Beth raises her crucifix before a dart hits her in the neck. Before Sister Luna and Sister Superior can react, darts fly into their necks as well and they all drop to the ground. Charlotte stands up, catching her breath and looking up to see Becky approaching._

Charlotte- Becky…

_Becky raises an eyebrow and points her dart gun at Charlotte._

Charlotte- What?

Becky- Promise me you'll talk to James and Will about getting me a salary.

Charlotte- Are you serious right now, Becky?

Becky- Promise me.

_Charlotte rolls her eyes._

Charlotte- Fine.

_Becky smiles._

Becky- Super.

_She turns towards the building._

Becky- Well, this is a mess.

Charlotte- That sure is a lot of poison…

Becky- Yeah, whoever did it must be a chemical and botanical genius.

Charlotte- Hey, do you have any idea who would know to hire the Gun-

Becky- ANYWAY! Step back.

_Charlotte steps back, giving Becky a dubious but bemused glance. Becky pulls out a canister from her jacket, weighing it in her hand before tossing it into the building. It explodes into a purple gas that reacts with the other gas inside the building, beginning a chain reaction that eventually dissipates all the gas leaking out of the building. Charlotte raises an eyebrow._

Charlotte- Nice.

Becky- Is that enough to get you to not ask any more questions?

Charlotte- Help me save our bosses and we'll call it even, traitor.

_Becky groans._

Becky- _Fine_.

_The two girls rush into the building, and we cut to Lauren and Mr. Garcia fighting with Edward on the yacht as it drifts out in the middle of the lake. Edward stomps down, actually rocking the yacht. Mr. Garcia fires a beanbag into Edward's face, Lauren following it up with a barrage of punches that knocks Edward towards the edge of the ship._

Lauren- Give it up, you're outnum-

_Edward grabs Lauren's arm and chucks her over the edge of the ship._

Lauren- AH!

Mr. Garcia- SHERIFF!  


_Edward turns to Mr. Garcia, who gulps and starts to back away. We see Lauren desperately clinging to the edge of the ship. She slowly turns her head and spots a tiny wooden boat hanging from the side of the yacht. An idea forms. Meanwhile, Mr. Garcia runs through the lower rooms of the ship._

Mr. Garcia- Where are you!? Come face me!

_A fist-shaped dent forms in the ceiling above Mr. Garcia's head, and he yelps. More and more appear before Edward finally comes crashing down, pursuing Mr. Garcia and grabbing him. Mr. Garcia is tossed onto the top floor, and Edward slowly rises out as well._

Lauren- Hey! You gonna keep beating on my deputy or do you want a real fight!?

_Edward turns to see Lauren on the small wooden boat a little bit away from the yacht._

Mr. Garcia- Are you insulting me?

Lauren- Shut it, Garcia. This is a feud situation.

_Edward slowly narrows his eyes, turning towards Lauren before bellowing at her._

Edward- LAUREN LEE!

_Edward goes running and leaps over the edge of the ship._

Lauren- Garcia! Rope!

_Edward lands on the small boat, and Lauren ducks underneath his legs, elbowing him in the back of the head. Edward punches at her but she leans to the side, and he does considerable damage to the boat. On the yacht, Mr. Garcia rushes with a rope, throwing it over the edge._

Mr. Garcia- Lauren!

_Lauren grins at Edward._

Lauren- Tell the fish hello.

_Lauren slams down on the boat, breaking even more and causing it to start to sink. She leaps off and grabs the rope, but she's pulled back a bit when Edward grips onto her leg. Mr. Garcia struggles to keep hold._

Mr. Garcia- Agh!

_Lauren glares down at Edward, lifting her other foot._

Lauren- You were _supposed_ to go down with the first cool line.

_She kicks his wrist HARD, causing him to let go as she's pulled back to the yacht. Mr. Garcia helps her up, and they watch as Edward sinks into the water, glaring at Lauren the entire time._

Lauren- Freaky.

_She turns around, gesturing for Mr. Garcia to follow._

Lauren- Come on. Work's not done yet.

_We cut to Hannah, AJ, James, and Will desperately rushing through the top floor of Forrester._

James- Where'd the gas go?

AJ- Don't look a gift horse in the mouth, James!

Will- There! Our office!

_Hannah runs ahead of them, completely out for blood. She whirls her mallet around, taking out everyone blocking their way to the office._

Hannah- AAAAAAH!

Will and James- Yikes.

AJ- Yay, Hannah!

_They throw open the doors to the office, and James rushes to the intercom._

Will- Are you sure you're ready for a speech, honey?

James- I can handle it.

Will- I have a lozenge in my-

James- I CAN HANDLE IT!

_James taps on the intercom and we cut to the fighting around the school slowing as people listen to him._

James- Students of Forrester, this is James Orwick. We don't have long to speak, but please listen to me! This isn't just a fight for me! It isn't just a fight for you! This is a fight for Forrester, and we will _not_ allow our school to be taken from the inside without at least giving them a run for their money! Today, I fight with you, Forrester! We fight together, as one school!

_Hannah yelps as the door slams open. Lupa and Amaru walk in, looking very threatening._

Lupa- Action scenes are NOT the time for monologues, Orwick!

Will- Jamie, time to GO!

James- Fight, Forrester! Fight!  


_He switches off the intercom just in time to duck out of the way of a swipe from Lupa._

James- Agh!  


AJ- James!

Lupa- Prepare for a tragedy of Shakespearian proportions!

_We cut to Becky and Charlotte fighting at the ground level in the auditorium Charlotte tackles a Woodsworth soldier, socking him in the face._

Charlotte- Hey! You work for _me_!

_She punches him again and he seems to snap out of it._

Soldier- Miss… Ms. March! At your service!

Charlotte- Huh…

_Charlotte stands and yells to the surrounding combatants._

Charlotte- Hey, Woodsworth soldiers! I know that somewhere in your minds is the memory of our cold, dark, prison cells! Well, that's EXACTLY where you'll be if you don't snap out of it NOW!

_All around, Woodsworth soldiers begin to snap back to their normal selves._

Becky- Wow, great speech.

Charlotte- Better than James' just now?

Becky- Couldn't tell you. I wasn't listening to his.

_A high-pitched scream sounds from the upper floor._

Becky- That high-pitched scream…

Charlotte- AJ!

_They look up to see James, Will, Hannah, and AJ running frantically from Lupa, Amaru, and other Valley soldiers._

Amaru- Don't run near precarious drops! That's dangerous!

_Lupa slams James with her spear and he goes flying over the edge, gripping on to the railing._

Will, AJ, Hannah- JAMES!

Charlotte- Becky! Teacher's lounge, now!

_Will tries to help James up as Amaru aims his bow at them._

Amaru- No worries! Once we're done, you can be Jadebiter rookies! It'll be fun!

Will- I'm too DELICATE for labor!

Becky- Hey, morons! Down here!  


_James looks down to see Becky and Charlotte pushing some cushions into position underneath them._

Will- Wait, James, that seems a little danger-

_James lets go and falls down onto the cushions. Will immediately swan dives after him. AJ shrugs._

AJ- Call me a lemming.

_He and Hannah jump over as well, and Amaru looks sad._

Amaru- It really _would_ be fun.

_Charlotte and Becky regroup with the others as chaos rages around them._

James- Th-thank you.

Charlotte- Don't mention it.

Becky- You could mention it a little.

Hannah- We need to retake this school… _our_ school.

Charlotte- Our school?

AJ- You're an honorary Forrestite.

James- Even with everything… it would take some serious heavy lifting to get out of this…

_Hard cut to Valley soldiers in the hallways fighting against an unseen figure before being tossed back. We see from this figure's point of view as Xander, Rita, and Richard all rush at them, and are promptly knocked out with powerful blows to the head. We cut to the fighting inside the auditorium, Karasu leaping down in front of the door._

Karasu- Take them down! Don't let any of them- AGH!

_Karasu is ragdolled to the side as the door is kicked wide open. We see James, Will, Hannah, and Charlotte grinning before panning up from the ground to reveal a VERY determined Lauren standing there, breathing heavily._

Lauren- THE SHERIFF'S HOME, ~~BITCHES~~!

_She twirls her paintball pistols in her hands and makes a beeline down the auditorium, taking out everyone in her path and lot of people that aren't._

Charlotte- Lauren!

Will- God, she's cool.

James- I, um…

_James sighs._

James- Yeah, pretty much.

_Lauren, Charlotte, and Becky end up back to back, firing at the horde of Valley troops._

Charlotte- You dealt with Edward?

Lauren- With a little help.

Becky- Valley morons, twelve o-clock.

_They turn to see Lupa, Amaru, and Karasu approaching them._

Lupa- Glad you could make the party, Lee.

Lauren- Where's Notch?

Karasu- Unimportant.

Lauren- I'd beg to differ. I have some choice words I'd like to exchange with him.

Charlotte- Nobody locks us in our own dungeon.

Karasu- He did that?

_Karasu snickers, and Amaru looks at Becky._

Amaru- Couldn't stay away from me, miss?

_Becky grimaces._

Lauren- She's not that into you, dude. Give it up.

_Lupa loudly yawns._

Lupa- Ugh! Fight now?

Charlotte- Fight now.

_The girls take on the Valley leaders, and we cut to James and Will taking cover behind an overturned table as they fire some paintball rifles._

Will- If we get out of here, we're giving Lauren a raise.

James- But what about our plans for the stained glass portraits of us?

Will- Sadly, I think those might have to wait.

James- WILL!

Will- Is it really that big of a-

James- No! Will! There!  


_James point and Will looks to see the fighting on the upper floor. Amid all the chaos, they catch a glimpse of Charlie._

Will- Charlie!

_He turns to yell at Lauren, who's currently engaged with Lupa._

Will- Lauren! Charlie's up there!

_Lauren looks up to see him, narrowing her eyes. She immediately knocks Lupa's spear from her hands, gesturing to Hannah and AJ._

Lauren- Goldenshire! Mitchell! Boost me!

_She tosses the shield over and begins running towards them. They lift it and she jumps up to the upper floor, yelling. Charlie looks up at her just as she tackles him, sending them both flying out the window to the side-roof (Whatever that terrace thing is called that protrudes from a building. You know what I mean.)_

Charlie- Agh, get _off_!

_Everything is silent except for their blows as they spar outside the building, Charlie whirling his ribbon around._

Lauren- What's WRONG with you!

Charlie- Shut up, shut up, SHUT UP!

_He shoves her back, rushing inside another window, using his ribbon to grapple up and land on the floor of the auditorium._

Lauren- Get back here, Notch!

_She rushes after him, hanging from a light fixture before dropping down. He desperately turns around, lashing his ribbon around her wrist. She immediately yanks on it, pulling Charlie over and delivering a devastating punch to the face. So hard, in fact, that two contact lenses come flying from his face._

Karasu- Charlie!  


Charlie- AGH!

_He backhands Lauren in the face, sending her reeling to the ground as Lupa, Amaru, and Karasu rush over to him. The battlefield is still as Charlie breathes hard, rubbing at his face._

Amaru- Are you okay? Are you-

_Charlie opens his eyes, revealing what he's been hiding: kaleidoscopic irises. The Valley gang immediately recoils._

Charlie- Wh-what? What is it?

Lupa- Your eyes…

_Charlie sharply inhales as he realizes what's happened._

Charlie- N-no. W-wait. This is all just part of something else… if you would just let me explain we could…

Karasu- Charlie…

_Karasu approaches him hesitantly._

Karasu- Are you okay?

_Charlie's reeling, speaking wildly._

Charlie- Y-yes, I'm fine. I'm fine. There's no need to-

Karasu- Hey, it's okay. I'm just going-

_Charlie twitches, his fist clenching almost involuntarily._

Karasu- Calm down. I think we just need to-

Charlie- NO!  


_His arm lurches forwards, slamming into Karasu's face with a sickening thud. Lupa and Amaru immediately gasp._

Amaru- Karasu!  


_Lupa doesn't hesitate, pointing her spear at Charlie._

Lupa- GET HIM!

Charlie- W-wait, no! This isn't right!

_He takes off down the hallways of Forrester, now pursued by pretty much all the other characters._

Amaru- Imposter!

Charlie- I'M CHARLIE, OKAY?! I'M CHARLIE!

_He makes it outside, scrambling near the dock when Charlotte gains on him._

Charlotte- You HIT Lauren!

_She jumps on him, but he pries her off and tosses her to the side. Everyone else catches up, aiming weapons at him._

Charlie- Wait, please, no! PLEASE!

_They hesitate._

Hannah- Who are you?

  
Charlie- I'm Charlie Notch! I'm Charlie Notch!

_Lupa and Amaru glance at each other._

Lupa- I… then… then why-

_She's cut off by a bunch of water being displaced from the lake. When the splash clears, Edward is standing in front of Charlie, looking furious._

Edward- BACK!

AJ- Edward?!

James- Get him!  


_Lupa and Amaru rush towards Edward, but Charlie catches their gaze with a desperate expression and they falter. In that moment, Edward grabs each of them by the leg, lifting them overhead and slamming them to the ground with an EXTREMELY painful-sounding thud._

Hannah- Lupa! Amaru!

Will- W-we have to do something.

_He prepares to run at Edward but as soon as the other boy cracks his knuckles, he pales. Edward slowly turns to Charlie, who's visibly afraid._

Charlie- E-Edward. I w-want to leave.

_Edward solemnly nods and picks up Charlie, glaring at the others before running for the forest, eventually disappearing in the foliage. Everyone else is left there, aghast._

Hannah- What… what happened?

AJ- Who was that?

_James slowly fumbles for his phone, making a call._

James- S…send out search parties. For someone looking like Charlie Notch.

_There's dead silence for a few moments before Lauren frantically runs in, exhausted and tripping on herself. She stares at the unmoving forms of Amaru, Lupa, and Charlotte, looking desperately to the others._

Lauren- Where…where… where is he?

_End episode._


	76. Rule the School S3E18

**Episode Eighteen: The Deputy Disappearance Part Two**

Synopsis: Ashmount reels from a recent revelation; Lauren searches for her missing deputies.

_We open on Becky approaching the Notches' house, knocking on the door and looking a bit nervous, fiddling with her hands. Virginia and Anna-May answer the door._

Virginia- Hi there, hon. What can we do for you?

Becky- Um… hi there, Mrs. Notch. Can I come inside?

Anna-May- Of course you can. Sorry, we weren't expecting guests. Don't have any food prepared.

Becky- That's fine. I wasn't really planning on staying for long.

Anna-May- Ugh, are we that bad company?

Becky- N-no, it's not that. I'm just here on behalf of James Orwick and Will Cross.

Virginia- Oh, I think Char-Char mentioned those two a couple times.

Becky- Yeah. They were Charlie's friends. Or business acquaintances. Whatever.

Anna-May- Well, we always say that a business partner is just one good meal away from a friend.

_Becky forces a smile._

Becky- That's nice, I suppose.

Anna-May- So what brings you here, darling? Someone messing with Char-Char and his friends? I don't need to get out the shotgun, do I?

Becky- Wait… you're asking if something's wrong with Charlie?

Virginia- Of course! We have to protect our boy if someone's ruffling his feathers!

Anna-May- I'm ready to go! Give me their address!

_Becky pales and gets a little angry._

Becky- Are you _kidding_ me?! Come on, _James_!

_Virginia looks at her curiously._

Virginia- Something wrong, sweetie.

Becky- He told me you would know, he _told_ me you would know.

Anna-May- Know what? Spit it out already!

Virginia- Anna-May, don't be rude.

_Becky looks at them, slightly sympathetic._

Becky- You really don’t know…

_We cut to Edward walking down an alley of Ashmount, wearing a hoodie and sunglasses and carrying some food in a bag. As he approaches the end of the alley, the camera rotates to reveal Charlie slumped against a wall, holding his head in his hands and still not wearing his contacts._

Charlie- Eddie…

_Edward hands him a bagel, and Charlie slowly chews, slumping down farther to the ground._

Charlie- They're coming after us, aren't they?

_Edward solemnly nods, and Charlie bitterly laughs._

Charlie- Why is this happening?

_Edward is just silent, and Charlie's face contorts in rage and he smacks Edward in the chest._

Charlie- TALK TO ME! I know you can!

_Edward considers it for a second._

Edward- Lee…

_Charlie knits his eyebrows in confusion._

Charlie- Lauren? I don't… I don't… she's my friend. No. She hurt me. She hurt you.

_Charlie begins nodding quickly, pacing back and forth._

Charlie- She _ruined_ everything. Ruined my plans.

_Charlie grabs Edward's arm, looking almost hysterical._

Charlie- Vengeance does sound appropriate, given the circumstances, doesn't it?

_Edward shrugs, and Charlie shakes his head, letting out a short bark of a laugh._

Charlie- J-just come on. Before I realize this is crazy.

_We cut to James and Will in their office, looking over a map of Ashmount._

James- Have we had the troops sweep there yet?

Will- Either way, sweep it again. We can't cut corners here.

_James rubs his face, sighing._

James- How did this happen, Will? I… I don't think this is purely political anymore.

Will- Oh, it never was. It's always been a mess of volatile personalities and relationships.

James- Well, I didn't sign up to be in a soap opera! I just wanted to be a run-of-the-mill high school dictator!

Will- Well, we don't have time for you to worry about that. We have to find Charlie.

James- Yeah, yeah, you're right. He… he's our friend.

Will- Wow, can I record that?

James- Shut up.

_The wall suddenly opens in front of them and the Parliamentarian's desk slides in._

Parliamentarian- Gentlemen.

James- P-Parliamentarian! We were just-

Parliamentarian- I know exactly what you're doing, Mr. Orwick. Mr. Cross. You've been sending Forrester troops all over Ashmount, disrupting life for those outside of the schools.

James- I…

_Will gives him a look._

James- Um… yes, yes we are. Because something very, very bad has happened to our friend, and we're trying to find out what.

Parliamentarian- Hm.

Will- This isn't the time for protocol, Parliamentarian. This is serious.

_The Parliamentarian is silent for a second._

Parliamentarian- I completely agree.

James- Well, you can… wait, what?

Parliamentarian- This… situation, whatever it is, is of major concern to the White Parliaments.

Will- You mean you don't know what happened to him? Aren't Parliamentarians supposed to know everything?

Parliamentarian- We know more than you, that's for certain. But when it comes to what actually occurred between Mr. Notch and the one called the Whisperer… we're at a loss.

James- So you'll help us? Help us apprehend him?

Parliamentarian- My hands are tied, Mr. Orwick. The White Parliament cannot act unless we are certain that protocol has been breached, and in this case, we are unsure of what exactly transpired.

Will- Well, great. So, what? We do NOTHING?

Parliamentarian- The White Parliament cannot act… but we will not obstruct you from acting.

James- So… so we can search for him.

Parliamentarian- Be my guest.

_The Parliamentarian nods and his desk begins to slide back into the wall._

James- Thank you, Parliamentarian.

Parliamentarian- No need to thank me. I'm an agent of the system, Mr. Orwick.

_The wall slides shut and James and Will exchange a glance._

Will- Let's get him.

_We cut to Lauren's deputies on the rooftop of a mattress store, overlooking the area of town around them._

Matthew- Any eyes on Charlie or Edward?

Carmen- If I _had_ eyes on them, don't you think I'd _tell_ you?

_Matthew deflates._

Matthew- Jeez, sorry.

_Gabriel and Mr. Garcia are talking._

Gabriel- So he blackmailed you?

Mr. Garcia- Threatened to reveal aspects of my past I'd rather not speak of.

Gabriel- Aren't you afraid he'll do just that now?

Mr. Garcia- Not if we catch him first.

Emily- Guys! Very big person over there!

_The deputies look to see Edward trying to sneakily walk down the street, but it's very hard to be subtle when you're Edward._

Carmen- Great, alert him to our presence more.

_Emily lowers her voice to a whisper._

Emily- He's over there, guys.

Gabriel- Yeah, we _got_ it, Em.

Mr. Garcia- Prepare to attack.

_The deputies pull out their weapons._

Charlie- Not exactly subtle, is he?

_The deputies whirl around just in time for Charlie to slam a baseball bat into Emily's head, sending her small form crumpling to the side._

Gabriel- Em!

_The deputies scramble away and try to regroup, but Charlie pulls out his ribbon in his other hand, pulling Carmen towards him and knocking her out too._

Gabriel- Notch!

_Gabriel lunges toward him and they have a brief fight before Charlie knocks him out._

Matthew- Oh no! Um… um…

_Matthew quickly nocks an arrow and fires it, missing Charlie by a mile. Charlie raises an eyebrow before pulling Matthew over and knocking him out too. He hears a yell from behind him and turns as Mr. Garcia barrels towards him, the two of them brawling for a while. Mr. Garcia actually manages to disarm Charlie, but as Charlie scrambles back, Edward's arms wrap tight around Mr. Garcia._

Mr. Garcia- Gah!

_Charlie rises up, snarling._

Charlie- I was too nice the last time I knocked you all out…

_Edward slams Mr. Garcia to the ground, knocking him out. Charlie rubs his head and looks to Edward wearily._

Charlie- Bag them up.

_We cut to Hannah and AJ sitting at a kitchen table with Isaac Kobayashi, Karasu's father._

Hannah- Thanks for letting us wait out here, Mr. Kobayashi.

Isaac- I think it's thoughtful that you guys are here for them. Now, remind me how exactly they got hurt?

Hannah and AJ- School stuff.

Isaac- Ah. I got up to some antics in my day too, though I never got _that_ hurt.

_A crash sounds from upstairs._

AJ- Um… what was that?

_Isaac sighs._

Isaac- You should probably go check on them.

Hannah- Yeah, I think we'll do that.

_Hannah and AJ head upstairs and throw open the door to reveal Lupa, Karasu, and Amaru with various bandages wrapped around them. Lupa is currently trying to climb out the window._

Hannah- Hey! Get back into bed!

Lupa- Nooooo!

_Lupa continues to try and climb out, but winces._

Lupa- Ow!

Hannah- AJ, help me!

_Hannah and AJ head over and drag Lupa back into bed._

Lupa- Ugh!

AJ- Hey, you're in no shape to be climbing out windows.

Karasu- We're _fine_! Just let us out of here already!

Hannah- You tried to sneak downstairs and couldn't even get past the third step.

Karasu- I could do it if I try again!

Amaru- You expect us to sit here doing NOTHING?!

AJ- You're doing something. You're recovering.

Karasu- Oh, shut up, AJ.

AJ- Hey!

Hannah- Relax, AJ. They're just a little mad.

  
Lupa- A little mad?!

Hannah- Hey, James and Will have already sent out tons of search parties! I'm sure that in no time-

Karasu- No! _We_ need to be out there looking for him! We can get through to him!

AJ- He punched you in the face, Karasu.

Lupa- To be fair, that's a traditional Valley greeting.

Karasu- It did hurt a lot…

Amaru- Hannah… has there been any news on what exactly happened to him?

_Hannah looks to AJ nervously._

Hannah- Um… no news. But I'm sure something will turn up soon.

_Hannah's phone rings out, and she examines a text and gasps. Karasu speaks dryly._

Karasu- Great news, I bet!

Hannah- AJ, keep an eye on them for a second.

_She starts heading out of the room._

AJ- What? What's going on?

Hannah- It's the deputies.

_We cut to Charlotte and Lauren walking briskly through the streets of Ashmount._

Charlotte- This is the spot you sent them to?

Lauren- It's the spot _James and Will_ sent them to.

Charlotte- Right. Sorry.

_Charlotte glances at Lauren, who is visibly simmering._

Charlotte- You okay, Laur?

Lauren- I'll be okay once we get my deputies back and kick Notch's teeth in.

Charlotte- Yeah… whatever you say. Got any theories on what's going on with him?

Lauren- I'm not the thinking one. I leave that to you guys, and you leave the violence to me.

_Charlotte puts a hand on Lauren's shoulder._

Charlotte- Hey. Everything's going to be fine, Lauren.

_Lauren looks at Charlotte, a rare expression of vulnerability on her face._

Lauren- You really think that's the truth?

_Charlotte purses her lips and hesitates for a second too long._

Lauren- Exactly. Cut it out, Char. I don't count on you to sugarcoat things.

_Charlotte sighs, but her eyes widen as she spots something, pointing to a paintball rifle on the ground._

Charlotte- Is that Mr. Garcia's?

Lauren- You know your paintball guns?

_Charlotte mutters under her breath._

Charlotte- I learned it to impress a girl.

_Lauren and Charlotte rush over to the rifle, and as Lauren picks it up, Charlotte catches a small note that falls off._

Charlotte- A note!

Lauren- What does it say?

_Charlotte holds out the note, and it has an address on it, signed 'From Charlie' and then 'And Edward' in perfect cursive._

Charlotte- An address.

_Lauren narrows her eyes, grabbing the note._

Lauren- Come on.

Charlotte- Wait! Lauren, it's clearly a trap!

Lauren- Don't care. Leave if you want, but I'm getting my deputies.

_Lauren rushes off, and Charlotte hesitates for a second before rushing off._

Charlotte- I'm coming, Laur!

_We cut to James and Will at a press conference._

James- All foreign affairs and possible conflicts with Maple Valley have been halted for the time being while we put our resources towards investigating the Charlie Notch situation.

Will- We hope you understand why this is a crucial use of Forrester's time, and the White Parliament has agreed not to interfere with-

Abby- I DIDN'T AGREE NOT TO INTERFERE!

_The crowd parts to reveal Abby wearing a short black dress and tights, a black veil, and a long dark grey cape being carried by her Nates._

James- WHAT is it, Abby?

Will- And how are you not locked up? You conspired with Charlie!

Abby- Oh, please. Those words were taken totally out of context.

James- The words about embracing our usurper and surrendering to the Valley?

Abby- I mean, really, who even knows what that means?

_Will starts to speak but Abby holds up her hand._

Abby- ANYWAY! You really expect us to agree with you putting all of Forrester's resources towards some personal grudge?

James- It's not a grudge!  


Abby- Oh, it isn't? It's one boy, you two.

Will- A very important boy!  


Abby- Why? Because he's your friend? He tried to overthrow Forrester!

James- With your assistance.

_Abby ignores him._

Abby- The less we see of Charlie Notch, the better. At least according to this journalist. Check out my recent editorial in the _Forrester Fire_ for even more reasons why all of James and Will's decisions are total garbage!

_James seethes as the students start to murmur._

James- That little…

Will- Calm down, Jamie. We just have to make this sound appealing to _her_.

_Will gets up and walks towards Abby, and James follows his lead._

Will- I think we're done with this press meeting, everyone!

_He turns to whisper in Abby's ear._

Will- Hey. You roll with this, and whoever's behind this Notch situation can be your new scapegoat for _months_.

_Abby smirks, pinching Will's cheeks._

Abby- Aw, but you two are just my favorite little targets for libel.

James- The people have gotten tired of it, Abby. You need a new villain to stay fresh. And we need you to stay out of our hair.

_Abby sighs, waving them off and adjusting her veil._

Abby- I'll start preparing a scathing cancellation of Charlie Notch tomorrow.

James- No! Not Charlie! Whoever's _behind_ it!

Abby- Well, he's the villain we have right now. If you find another one, by all means tell me.

_Abby heads off, and James and Will sigh._

Will- Well, that's a partial win, I guess.

James- Can we take away the freedom of press yet?

_We cut to Hannah finishing up a call on the phone._

Hannah- Okay. Keep me posted, Charlotte.

_She hangs up and covers her face with her hands._

Hannah- God…

_AJ's voice rings out from in the room._

AJ- Um, Hannah?! A little help in here!

_Hannah sighs, brushing her hair to the side and sniffling before she clears her throat._

Hannah- I'm coming, AJ!

_Hannah bursts into the room to find AJ attempting to guard the window from Lupa, Karasu, and Amaru._

AJ- HELP!

Karasu- Let us OUT!

Hannah- All of you, STOP IT!

_Hannah marches over to them, dragging Karasu and Lupa back to their beds by the hair. AJ pushes Amaru over to the bed as well, and the three of them slump, defeated._

Lupa- We're fine, really. We're all better.

Hannah- You'd be better faster if you actually rested.

Amaru- Charlie's out there right now! Consorting with enemies, hurting people!  


_AJ whispers to Hannah._

AJ- H-Hannah, what do we say…?

_Hannah rubs her head._

Hannah- Guys, everything's going to be-

Lupa- Oh, don't tell us everything's going to be okay! You have no way of knowing that!

Hannah- I…

Lupa- What, you're telling us you know for a fact that everything will be fine?! You DON'T!

AJ- Hannah-

Hannah- No, I DON'T KNOW. But… but we can't do anything right now, okay?!

Karasu- So we just have to sit here and do NOTHING?!

_Hannah chokes on her words as she falls back onto the bed next to Karasu._

Hannah- Yeah… pretty much.

_There's silence for a second until AJ speaks up._

AJ- Right now…

Amaru- What?

AJ- We can't do anything _right now_. B-but if we're patient, we can do something later!

_He looks desperately to Hannah._

AJ- Right?

_Hannah sniffles, getting herself up._

Hannah- Y-yeah. Yeah. Of course.

_She turns to the deputies and forces a smile._

Hannah- I know you want to be out there right now, but you'll only hurt yourself. And other people. So can't we just wait for a little bit? A-and besides… Lauren Lee's on the case right now.

_We cut to Charlie and Edward in a warehouse, sitting in chairs. Charlie's eyes are darting back and forth._

Charlie- H-how did I do that, Edward? What I did to the deput-

_He's interrupted by Lauren kicking down the door, followed by Charlotte._

Lauren- WHERE ARE THEY!?

_Charlie and Edward jump to their feet._

Charlie- L-Lee!

Charlotte- Surprised? You're the one that gave us the address, idiot.

Charlie- Of course I did that!

_Charlie knits his eyebrows in confusion._

Charlie- Wait, why did I do that?

_Lauren immediately tackles Charlie, socking him in the face._

Lauren- WHERE ARE THEY?!

Charlie- Ugh! Get _off_ of me!

_He kicks her off, and Edward steps forward, narrowing his eyes. Charlotte gulps._

Charlotte- Lauren, we _really_ should have called for backup.

Lauren- _He_ has my backup!

Charlie- I d-didn't mean to do it to them!

_Lauren's nostrils flare._

Lauren- Do what?

Charlie- Well, I did mean to. I just didn't know what I was… it just happened!

_Charlie looks to Lauren, his eyes almost shining._

Charlie- I'm Charlie!

Lauren- You're NOT Notch.

_The words are like a knife to Charlie's heart, and he looks around frantically._

Charlie- N-no, I _am_. I AM!

Lauren- I'm not afraid of you or your bodyguard. Now where are they!?

_Charlie snaps back to awareness, a sinister smile growing on his face._

Charlie- Waiting for you, of course. Right outside the Lee household…

_Lauren's eyes widen and she immediately sprints out. Charlotte looks after her, then throws Charlie a death glare._

Charlotte- You traitorous-

Charlie- Run along. Your little girlfriend needs a shoulder to cry on.

_Charlotte gasps and she runs after Lauren. The camera gets a bit shaky as Lauren sprints down the streets of Ashmount, Charlotte struggling to keep up with her._

Charlotte- Lauren!

_Finally, they arrive outside Lauren's house just outside the forest, where five figures are slumped outside the door. Lauren arrives there, but we follow Charlotte as she winds to a walk, gasping for breath._

Charlotte- L-L-Lauren! Please, just wait! What's-

_Lauren lets out a chilling scream, and Charlotte rushes up the steps to the door to find Lauren on her knees, her weapons fallen at her sides._

Charlotte- Lauren… what happened?

_The deputies stir, and Charlotte jumps._

Carmen- No…

Emily- St-stop…

Charlotte- What? What are they saying?!

Carmen- No…

Emily- St-stop…

_Lauren shifts to the side as Charlotte leans in and we see the deputies' faces, more specifically… their eyes. They look similar to those of Charlie, and formerly the Whisperer, but different, almost fractured. Their faces hang slack, their eyes barely open, their mouths uttering the same words over and over again._

Carmen- No…

Emily- St-stop…

Gabriel- Not them…

Matthew- I can't…

Mr. Garcia- Loyal…

_The voices overlap as we see Lauren's face, her eyes clenched shut and hot tears streaming down her face. They grow so loud that Charlotte's words can barely be heard._

Charlotte- Lauren! Lauren! Lauren!  


_All of a sudden, the voices all clear as Lauren jumps back, turning around and sprinting towards the forest, choked sobs barely visible. Charlotte tries to run after her, but Lauren's running faster than ever, disappearing into the dim night of the forest._

Charlotte- Lauren! LAUREN!

_Charlotte halts, tears falling from her eyes as well. As she pants, her breath becomes visible. A snowflake falls near her. Then some more._

_It's winter in Ashmount._

_End episode._


	77. Rule the School- Lionless

**Special Four: Lionless**

Synopsis: The students of Maple Valley reflect on their friend.

_We open on a series of shots depicting the students of the Valley in their houses, all seeming completely listless. Lupa is reading a trashy romance novel on her bed, surrounded by dozens of other discarded novels. Julio sits against the wall in Mr. Garcia's paintball room, firing a paintball pistol at the wall over and over again. Richard sadly examines a sweatervest. Rita punches at a punching bag while her sister Paige comes in to leave a plate of food by her. Amaru watches the television, where Abby is currently speaking._

Abby- The search continues for Charlie Notch after the stunning events at Forrester this week. Efforts have been in vain so far, but Forrester leadership has assured that they are working hard at the problem. Now, here's a word from our lovely sponsor, the Pinochi Carnival! They have this message: whoever stole our top prize, you know who you are. We'll be right back folks. Spread the Fire!

_Amaru's mother Tica waves her hand in front of his face._

Tica- Hey, Amaru! Enough news for today.

_Amaru sighs, turning off the news and leaning back in his seat. Tica's expression softens._

Tica- Hey… it's going to be okay, churi. Maybe we can-

_There's a whine from another room from one of Amaru's siblings, and Tica's expression becomes strained._

Tica- It's your sister. I have to-

Amaru- It's okay. Go.

_Tica heads off, and Amaru stares up at the ceiling before there's a ring at the doorbell._

Tica- Amaru, can you get it?

Amaru- I got it, Mama.

_He gets up and walks to the door, opening it to reveal Xander, his hands antsy as he signs._

Amaru- Xander? What are you-

Xander- Karasu's missing.

_That shakes Amaru out of it quickly._

Amaru- What?

Xander- I was staying at their house for the night, and they were just gone in the morning. Their dad doesn't know where they are either.

Amaru- You think they were captured?

Xander- That or they did something stupid. Either way, I'm getting the others.

Amaru- Right. I'll meet you outside their house.

Xander- And, Amaru… are you okay?

_Amaru shrugs._

Amaru- Are you?

Xander- Right. Dumb question.

Amaru- Just go get them.

_Amaru shuts the door on Xander, who walks away, pulling out his phone. We cut to the Kobayashi household, where Amaru is walking to meet Xander. Isaac Kobayashi is standing in front of the door, and Amaru bows his head._

Amaru- Mr. Kobayashi.

Isaac- Is there anything that I need to-

Amaru- This is probably Valley stuff, sir. We'll handle it.

Isaac- Well… alright. Let me know if you kids need anything.

_He heads inside, and Amaru walks up to Xander._

Amaru- This is the last place you saw them?

Xander- Yep.

Lupa- Hey!

_Lupa sounds oddly energetic as she walks up to Xander and Amaru, Rita in tow._

Amaru- Lupa… how are you?

Lupa- I'm just fine, why?

Amaru- It's just… you know…

Rita- Don't try to talk to her about it. She's having a moment.

_Lupa throws Rita a glare and she shuts up._

Xander- Your makeup is sloppy.

_Lupa gives him a fake smile._

Lupa- I was in a _rush_.

_Richard's car pulls up, and he and Julio get out._

Richard- Did somebody say Richie?

Xander- Nobody calls you Richie.

Richard- Right. Um, well…

_There's a pregnant silence._

Julio- So…um… Su's missing?

Xander- Thank goodness, or they'd have killed you for calling them that.

Lupa- Of course you'd only want to see us for something like this. The group chat has been dead for _days._

Richard- Oh, please. We're not the ones who cancelled our weekly parties until further notice.

_Lupa stomps on his foot and Rita pulls her back._

Rita- Lupa! Enough. We're here, that's what matters.

_Lupa sighs._

Lupa- So what are you thinking, Xander? Abduction or dramatic runaway?

Xander- Well-

Julio- There's a note.

Amaru- What?

_Julio points to a piece of paper in the bushes, and Xander picks it up._

Rita- What does it say?

_Xander hands it to her._

Xander- It's an address.

Rita- Um, no, Xander, it's an address.

Richard- That's what he said.

Rita- Right. I knew that.

Lupa- Guess that's where we're driving. Come on, Rita!

Amaru- Just Rita? You have the biggest car.

Lupa- You found your way here. Find it there too.

_Lupa pulls Rita away._

Julio- What's _her_ problem?

Amaru- Give her some leeway. We're all dealing with…stuff. Julio, you can come in my car.

Richard- But _I_ drove him here!

Julio- Bye, Richard!

_Richard deflates, and Xander walks past him._

Richard- Do you even _have_ a car? I can drive you!

Xander- I'll walk.

_Richard pouts, and we cut to a dark room, illuminated as the door is opened and the gang walks in. It's an empty auditorium, a large stage in front._

Rita- An auditorium?

Amaru- Search around. Try and find them.

_They begin walking around, and Xander heads for the stage, kneeling down to look at the floor. Richard and Rita sit next to him._

Rita- Xander?

Xander- This is the place…

Richard- You've been here?

_Xander quickly gets up, walking backstage._

Rita- Hey! What are you doing?

_Xander reaches a curtain and his hand rests on it, opening it to reveal a young Xander, then known as Alex, and a young Charlie. They're both wearing dance clothes, with Alex in baggy pants. Charlie snickers, and Alex looks at him indignantly, speaking._

Alex- What are you laughing at?

Charlie- Your outfit is so stupid.

Alex- Well, I didn't get to pick it!

Charlie- Relax, Alex. You look fine.

_Alex flushes, but there's some clapping from offstage and he stands up._

Alex- That's me.

_Charlie winks as he stretches._

Charlie- Good luck.

_Alex smiles as he heads to the stage._

Announcer- And now please welcome Alexander Zhao.

_There's applause before Alex begins to dance. All seems to be going well until he looks to the side, where Charlie is mimicking his dance with exaggerated movements and facial expressions. In the middle of his dance, Alex begins to laugh out loud, doubling over as he chuckles uncontrollably. Realizing what he's doing, he covers his mouth and rushes offstage to a laughing Charlie, the two of them rushing away and collapsing on the ground._

Charlie- Oh my _god_.

Alex- You little saboteur.

Charlie- Big words, big words. It's called being funny.

_Alex punches him in the shoulder._

Alex- Jerk.

Charlie- For what it's worth, you weren't bad before you started laughing.

_Alex rolls his eyes, but he smiles._

Alex- You're awful.

_Xander closes the curtain and rests his hand on it, his head bowed. Rita and Richard look at him concernedly._

Richard- I'm…I'm sorry you had to remember.

Xander- It's a good memory, though.

Rita- I…I guess.

Xander- Then why does it feel so bad?

_Rita grips his shoulder, beginning to say something before the others walk out from the other side of the backstage._

Lupa- You guys aren't doing much searching.

_Rita shakes her head at Lupa and she reads the room and shuts her mouth._

Julio- Um, anyway… we found another note.

Xander- From Karasu?

Amaru- It's my address… but it has some weird instructions.

_Xander wipes his face, walking away._

Xander- Then we're going to your house. Come on.

_Amaru glances at Richard and Rita._

Amaru- Is he…

Rita- I think Karasu is leading us to these places for a reason.

Lupa- Whatever. Let's just complete their little scavenger hunt and find them.

_Lupa walks away briskly, and the others shrug and follow her. We cut to outside Amaru's house as the gang walks up to it. Amaru reads off the note._

Amaru- Third bush from the right? That's oddly specific.

Xander- Whatever, let's just check it out. Maybe the next note will take us to their _actual_ location.

_They head over for the bush, and as the others rummage on it, Julio looks up at the window, crouching. He narrows his eyes._

Rita- Um, Julio? Watcha doing?

Julio- This was the exact angle…

Amaru- Young Garcia?

Julio- You don't remember, Amaru?

_Amaru shakes his head, and Julio glances over to the side of the street. The sun rapidly goes down as we see a slightly younger Charlie and Julio (around the time of Tribes) running up behind the bush, crouching like spies._

Charlie- Don't. Make. A. Sound.

_Julio nods eagerly._

Julio- Okay!

_Charlie slaps his hand over Julio's mouth._

Charlie- That's a sound, Juli.

_Julio makes a muffled complaint, but Charlie grins as he reaches into a bag, pulling out some eggs._

Julio- Eggs?

Charlie- This is what Amaru gets for making me drive you home.

Julio- Your music sucks.

Charlie- Do not dishonor the good name of country!

Julio- Whatever. Riding in your car sucked.

Charlie- Exactly! That's why we have to get him back!

Julio- Shouldn't I just get _you_ back.

Charlie- Oh, kids. Y'all really don't know the way of the world. Trust me on this.

_Charlie opens up the eggs and picks one up, chucking it at Amaru's window._

Charlie- Quickly, before he sees them!

Julio- But I-

Charlie- Do it!

_Julio squeals, picking up an egg and throwing it at the window, then cowering behind the bush._

Julio- He's gonna be _so_ mad.

Charlie- Oh, he'll get over it. But wasn't it a little exhilarating?

_Julio begins to laugh._

Julio- Yeah!

Charlie- Wanna throw another one?

_Julio's eyes spark with mischief, and it becomes day again as present-day Julio looks up at the window._

Julio- I think I threw half the eggs before we finally stopped…

Rita- He only took you to prank Amaru? I would have been down.

Julio- I-

Amaru- Wait, that was YOU TWO?

_Julio gulps._

Julio- I thought you knew.

_Amaru sighs._

Amaru- Still… it is a nice memory.

Lupa- But it doesn't help us find Karasu.

Rita- Lupa!

_Lupa turns around, glancing around at the bushes angrily. Xander places a hand on Julio's hair and ruffles it._

Xander- Don't get sad, Julio.

Julio- You were earlier.

Xander- I was not.

_Julio gives Xander a hug, and Xander pats his shoulder._

Lupa- Hey! Found it!

_Xander sighs and extricates himself from Julio, turning with the others to see Lupa holding a note._

Xander- Well?

_Lupa frowns as she reads it, turning it around for everyone else to read._

Lupa- Anyone recognize this address?

_Richard immediately groans._

Amaru- What?

Richard- I already know what this one's about…

_We cut to Richard stumbling back in a park, wiping his brow as he grits his teeth and raises his sword._

Richard- Ugh, you will _not_ usurp me.

_The camera pans to reveal a grinning Charlie holding a sword of his own._

Charlie- It ain't usurping if the rules let me challenge you, right?

_He runs at Richard and the two boys clash, Richard getting a bit angry._

Richard- Why do you even _want_ to lead the Sunlions?

Charlie- Made a bet with Lupa. But don't worry, I'll do you proud, Richie.

Richard- I taught you everything!

Charlie- Thanks for that!

_Charlie disarms Richard, his sword flying up in the air. Richard's eyes widen and he breaks away from the fight, running to try and catch it. As he does so, Charlie trips him, sending him skidding across the ground. Charlie points his sword down._

Charlie- You done?

_Richard snarls and drags Charlie down, the two of them wrestling on the ground before Charlie once again gets the upper hand, pinning Richard to the ground._

Charlie- Sorry, it wasn't a question, Richie. You're done.

_Richard struggles against it, but Charlie counts off his fingers before letting go and standing up, turning around and running his fingers through his hair._

Charlie- Whew! I'll admit, you put up a fight there, but guess who's the newest tribal leader in town?

_Richard pants, unable to get up as he stares at his own shaking hands._

Richard- No…

Charlie- Hey.

_Richard looks up to see Charlie offering his hand down._

Richard- You _stole_ my position…

Charlie- I earned it. You can earn it back if you work hard too.

Richard- You don't even _care_ -

Charlie- I care! Don't mistake my jokes for callousness, bud. Am I really going to be _that_ awful?

Richard- Yes.

Charlie- Really?

Richard- Ugh, no. Maybe. I hate you.

_Charlie rolls his eyes._

Charlie- Oh, get up.

_Richard reluctantly takes his hand and gets up._

Charlie- Want an ice cream.

Richard- Maybe.

Charlie- Great, you're paying.

_They walk away, right past the present-day gang observing the field._

Lupa- Oh, so _this_ is the spot where you got trounced?

Richard- He was so nice afterwards… he even told me I could challenge him the next day if I wanted.

Rita- Did you?

Richard- No. I kind of wanted to see how it would turn out. I started a coup later, though.

Rita- Of course you did.

Richard- But he never gave up on me, even when he _really_ should have.

Xander- You turned out alright.

Richard- Better than I was.

_There's silence, and Richard sniffles._

Richard- I miss having him around.

_Lupa quickly interjects._

Lupa- There! A note on the ground!

Xander- They're not even trying to hide them at this point.

_Lupa picks it up and Rita looks over her shoulder._

Rita- Oh, that's the skate park!

Julio- You skate?

Rita- Doesn't every cool person?

_Rita gets a little more solemn._

Rita- The note's for me, though. The park was our hangout spot.

Lupa- Oh, I didn't realize you had a dedicated hangout spot with… with-

Rita- Love you, babe. Drive me there?

Lupa- Fine.

_They head off to their cars, and Xander sighs and looks at Richard._

Xander- Fine. I'll ride with you.

Richard- Th…thanks…

_We cut to the skate park, Lupa and Amaru shooing off all the kids there._

Amaru- Shoo, shoo!

Kid- When can we come back?

Lupa- When you die. Your ghosts can haunt the skate park like the losers you are.

_The kids head off as Rita skates down one of the slopes (is that what they're called?), the others looking at her expectedly._

Rita- Wh-what?

Richard- No memories here? About…

Rita- Well, we hung out here all the time. They… they all kind of blend together.

Julio- Really? Lame.

Richard- It's alright, Garcia. Maybe she doesn't have the same attachment we do.

_Richard turns around, but Rita grabs him by the collar and pulls him back, furious._

Rita- What's _that_ supposed to mean?

Richard- We knew him for longer, Rita.

Julio- I didn't.

Richard- Shut up.

Xander- Richard, don't-

_Rita pushes Richard back angrily._

Rita- How can you SAY that?!

_Rita turns to Lupa, who shrugs._

Lupa- I'm not stepping in here.

_Rita lets out a small gasp, sitting on the ground. Amaru gives Richard a dirty look as he sits next to her._

Amaru- Rita, nobody's going to make you remember something. Richard was just being a-

Rita- I remember lots. Maybe I just don't like spilling everything to everyone.

Amaru- Oh. I'm sorry.

_Amaru glares at Richard._

Richard- Um, yes. Sorry. I… I was just angry.

Xander- We're all angry.

_There's a moment of silence._

Lupa- Rita and Charlie trained here. She didn't have Redclaw friends so he buddied up with her.

_Rita immediately gets up, advancing on Lupa in a rage._

Rita- LUPA!

Lupa- Oh, I thought you'd be ready to share.

Rita- I JUST SAID I WASN'T!

_Lupa examines her fingers._

Lupa- Sorry.

_Rita's nostrils flare._

Rita- What is wrong with you?! We're a family and we're trying to get through this, but YOU just don’t care!

_Xander covers Julio's ears as Rita walks down the skatepark, grabbing a slip of paper from under a small rock._

Rita- Here's the stupid note. Come on.

_Everyone hesitantly follows Rita, except for Lupa._

Amaru- You coming?

_Lupa's silent, and he sighs, walking off. Lupa angrily brushes it off, but goes to sit on a bench, burying her face in her hands and raking her hands through her hair. We cut to the gang minus Lupa arriving at a cul de sac, a quiet place with nothing but a few stray balls and an old foam target collecting dust at the back. Julio walks with Rita._

Julio- Are you okay?

Rita- I'm fine. Lupa will get over it.

Julio- And… and if she doesn't?

Rita- It's not my responsibility to make her act better. She can come to me when she's ready to apologize.

Julio- Oh. Sorry.

Richard- Anybody see the next note? Or possibly Karasu is just making themselves very small somewhere.

Xander- That's certainly a possibility.

_Amaru examines the foam target, pulling his bow off his bag. Julio notices what's going on._

Julio- Maru? You know this place or something?

Amaru- Something like that, young Garcia…

_He fires an arrow, and as it bounces against the target, we go to the past, the target with less dust and Amaru looking around early elementary age. He pumps his fist._

Amaru- Yes!

_He begins to nock another arrow when a voice sounds out from behind him._

Charlie- I wanna try!  


_Amaru turns to see a kindergarten aged Charlie, looking confident._

Amaru- Oh! Hi! I'm Amaru!

_Charlie sticks out a hand._

Charlie- Charles Hunter Cutie-Pie Notch. Call me Charlie.

_Amaru chuckles, handing Charlie the bow._

Amaru- You ever shot a bow before, Charlie?

Charlie- Meh. I can handle it.

_Charlie confidently grabs an arrow, wildly missing the target. Amaru doubles over laughing as Charlie flushes._

Charlie- It was the bow!

Amaru- Oh, really?

_Amaru grabs the bow, hitting the target again. Charlie indignantly grabs the bow again._

Charlie- Let me try again!

_Amaru grabs Charlie's arms, putting them into the right position despite Charlie's resistance._

Amaru- Just let me help you, kid.

Charlie- _Fine_.

_Charlie lets the shot loose and it actually hits the target. Charlie jumps giddily._

Amaru- Good job!

Charlie- I mean, of course I did it. I'm pretty great.

_Amaru laughs._

Charlie- So what are you doing out here practicing archery?

_Amaru beams._

Amaru- I'm training for when I get to go to Maple Valley!

Charlie- What's Maple Valley? I think my moms mentioned something about it once.

_Amaru gasps, grabbing Charlie's arm._

Amaru- Come over to my house! I'm gonna tell you all about it!

_Charlie and Amaru grin and run off, right past present-day Amaru and the rest of the gang._

Julio- The target's still here…?

Amaru- We come… came back every now and then… we were supposed to be back soon.

Richard- He never got that good at archery.

_Amaru smiles bitterly._

Amaru- He was getting better.

_Xander reaches behind the target, pulling out another note._

Xander- Found it.

_Amaru walks up to the target, sweeping the dust off of it and gazing at it. Xander looks at him sympathetically._

Xander- Amaru… we should go.

Amaru- Right. Of course.

_He turns away from the others for a second, sniffling before turning around, a small smile on his face._

Amaru- Let's be off.

_We cut to Lupa on the swings at a park, kicking at the ground. The others walk up behind her, clearly surprised to see her. Rita grits her teeth._

Rita- I thought you left.

Lupa- I thought the notes might eventually lead you here.

Richard- Oh, and why's that?

Lupa- When I thought of… of _him_ , this was the first place I remembered.

Rita- And I guess you're gonna tell us about it?

Lupa- If you want me to.

_Rita is silent._

Julio- Um… I want you to.

_Lupa turns to face the group._

Lupa- This was where we first met.

_Lupa walks over to the sandbox, the shots transitioning to that of a young Lupa walking over there where a young Charlie is sitting._

Lupa- Hey! My mom said I have to hang out with you because you look sad and lonely.

_Charlie frowns._

Charlie- That's mean of her.

Lupa- To be fair, you do look sad and lonely.

Charlie- That's mean of _you_.

_Lupa smirks._

Lupa- I'm Lupa. Remember the name.

Charlie- Will do. I'm Charlie.

Lupa- Playing in the sandbox is lame. Stop that.

_Charlie chuckles and stops._

Charlie- You have a better idea?

_Lupa thinks._

Lupa- Wanna run around aimlessly?

_We see Virginia and Anna-May talking to Lupa's mother Ariana._

Ariana- I only meant he looked like he could use a friend!

Anna-May- Our boy is not sad!

_Lupa and Charlie run past the mothers, giggling._

Virginia- Char-Char!

Ariana- Lupa!

_The two laugh as they run, passing by two kids with ice cream. Lupa grabs the ice creams and hands one to Charlie._

Charlie- That was mean.

Lupa- Eat it. It's the most delicious meanness ever.

_They head for the forest, swinging on small trees and laughing. Lupa gasps._

Lupa- Charlie! Over there!

_There's a fissure in the ground, creating a gap with a significant drop._

Charlie- Whoa…

Lupa- Oh, I'm gonna jump that!  


Charlie- Wait, that might not-

_Lupa runs over, leaping over the fissure and laughing._

Lupa- Woo! Your turn!

Charlie- I don't know…

_Lupa sticks out her tongue._

Lupa- Don't wanna be sad and lonely again, do you?

Charlie- My mom was just talking about something called peer pressure and-

Lupa- That's not real! Do it!  


_Charlie shrugs._

Charlie- Works for me.

_Charlie gets a running star and goes for the jump, but he doesn't make it, gripping onto the edge._

Charlie- AAAAH!

Lupa- AAAAH!

Charlie- PEER PRESSURE WAS REAL!

_Lupa grabs his arm._

Lupa- Hold on!

_Lupa hoists him out, both of them on their backs panting on the dirt._

Charlie- That was really stupid…

_Lupa smiles._

Lupa- Let that be a lesson to you, new friend Charlie. Only do stupid things when I tell you to. That way I can bail you out.

_Both of them laugh._

Charlie- Woah. You're smart.

_Present-day Lupa now looks over that same fissure, the others behind her._

Lupa- Not that smart, am I?

_She turns to the others, tears in her eyes._

Lupa- I was awful to the best people I have. The people I have left.

Amaru- Lupa…

_Lupa looks at Rita, who's both annoyed and sad now._

Lupa- Rita… I'm sorry.

_Rita fidgets as Lupa walks up to her._

Lupa- I treated you badly. I treated all of you badly. Because I was angry and sad and empty and I wanted everyone else to feel the same way I did.

_Rita holds Lupa's arm._

Rita- Lupes… we _all_ feel that way.

_The others slowly nod and Rita gives Lupa a hug and a peck on the cheek, Lupa letting the tears roll._

Amaru- Lupa… stop it.

Lupa- Stop what?

Amaru- If you keep crying then I'm going to cry and everyone knows that when I cry everyone cries!  


_Lupa sniffs, wiping the tears away._

Rita- Back off.

Lupa- What? But I thought-

Rita- The note's under your foot.

Lupa- Oh.

_Lupa steps back and picks up the note, her eyes widening._

Lupa- Amaru.

_Amaru comes over to look at it, and his eyes widen too._

Julio- What? What?

_Amaru sighs._

Amaru- I think this is our last stop. Come on. Deeper in the forest.

_We cut to Karasu sitting in a small shack, the same one Charlie found them in during season three, episode two. Their head is bowed, and the door creaks open. But instead of the Valley gang walking in, it's a young Charlie._ _Wh_ _en we cut back to Karasu, they're younger too, their hair poofy, messy, and its natural color, and their clothes dirty. They're crying._

Charlie- I thought I heard someone in here…

_Karasu leaps back defensively, their face dirty._

Karasu- Who-who are you?

Charlie- Hey… it's okay. I'm Charlie. What's your name?

_Karasu hesitantly walks forward._

Karasu- K-Karasu.

Charlie- Where are your parents?

_Karasu shakes their head quickly, letting out a sob._

Karasu- I'm sorry. I'll leave.

Charlie- No, hey, come on.

Karasu- Just get away from me! I need to get away!

_They run for the door, but Charlie blocks it._

Charlie- Hey, calm down. You can come with me to my house.

_Karasu shrinks._

Karasu- Why… why would you do that?

Charlie- You're in Valley territory, Karasu. We're all one family around here.

_Karasu's eyes are wide._

Karasu- Family?

_Charlie grins._

Charlie- Welcome to the family.

_Charlie puts his arm around their shoulders and Karasu grips him in a sudden hug, the two of them curling up on the ground. Charlie disappears, leaving present day Karasu in the shack as the Valley gang looks at them from the open door._

Lupa- Karasu…

_Karasu looks up, clearly having been crying._

Karasu- You guys feel it now, right?

Rita- Feel what?

Karasu- The gap. The loss. The _emptiness_. Without Charlie.

_At the sound of the name that everyone else has been afraid to utter, they wince. Karasu's eyes well with tears._

Lupa- Karasu, no. Please don't-

_Karasu sobs, and it starts a whole chain reaction. Soon enough, all of them are crying, heaving heavy sobs that carry an unspeakable weight. Amaru grips Julio close, but all of them are holding each other. Karasu is the first to shake it off, standing up and speaking with a shaky voice._

Karasu- This… this is what you all needed. This is what I needed. To stop hiding and face it. To remember.

Julio- But it hurts.

_Karasu speaks passionately, their voice full of anger._

Karasu- I know it does. But it's not going to go away sitting around. We need to stick by each other. And we need more…

_The others slowly sniffle and stand._

Rita- More?

Lupa- Karasu, what are you talking about…?

Karasu- We're a family. We fight tooth and nail for our own. This is no exception. And the oldest Valley tradition of all is vengeance…

_There's an uneasy silence as the words register, but everyone's already made up their mind. Lupa steps forward, steely-eyed._

Lupa- You're right.

_End episode._


	78. Citrus Hills S1E1

**Episode One: Rule One- Always be Welcoming**

Synopsis: The residents of Citrus Hills prepare for a new arrival.

_Dramatic music plays as we open on a shot panning over a small town that a lovely sign labeled as Citrus Hills, Georgia. It's full of quaint little homes and lots of citrus trees, but our area of focus is one of the titular hills, holding the famous Mont Blanc Estate, a towering building with black and red Gothic architecture that doesn't match the nice suburban homes all around. We pass the hedges cut into rabbits and dogs and past the angel statue guarding the front door into the living room, where a group of Citrusian Homers are sitting on a couch. Ermina St. Paul, a boisterous and animated woman, is reading from the Bible._

Ermina- When the goat is dispatched into the wilderness, Aaron shall go into the tent of meeting, strip off the linen vestments he had put on when he entered the inner sanctuary, and leave them in a tent of meeting!

_She pauses for dramatic effect before turning to Annette Isabelladonna, who is examining her nails._

Ermina- Next verses, Annette.

Annette- Ugh, can we skip ahead to the interesting stuff, Ermina? If we read outdated rules for _one_ more Bible study, I'm gonna lose it.

_The others murmur in agreement but Ermina silences them._

Ermina- Y'all, rules are important. We know this. And we _never_ skip a passage. Annette, carry on.

_Annette sighs and keeps reading from Leviticus. The woman to Ermina's right, Maribelle LaRue, taps her shoulder and whispers in her ear in a high-pitched voice._

Maribelle- We've been reading the good word for an hour, Mina. Darla's still upstairs?

_A man, Cillian Blueblossom, leans over, eavesdropping._

Cillian- Probably getting a telling-off from the White Widow.

Ermina- This conversation doesn't concern you, Cillian.

_Maribelle squeaks, clearly afraid of confrontation._

Maribelle- Y-yeah. Get back to the Scripture!

_The Homers' voices become a murmur as we pan across the floors of the house to the upstairs, where two women are talking, one much older than the other: Adora and Darla Mont Blanc respectively. Adora is cloaked in a white brimmed hat while Darla has her hair perfectly curled and is leaning against the window annoyedly._

Darla- I _understand,_ Mother.

Adora- If you understood, then there wouldn't be disobedient vermin disrupting the Citrusian lifestyle, would there, Darla?

_Darla growls but falls silent._

Adora- I left this town in your hands on the assumption that you were capable of such a responsibility. You have been all too lax in your duties.

Darla- Well, I still want them to _like_ me, don't I?

Adora- Incorrect. You want them to pretend to like you.

Darla- You don't know what it's like out there, Mother. What I wouldn't give to sit up here in our estate all day doing _nothing_ …

Adora- Oh, don't lie to me, girl. If you hate your power so much, then give it up to me. I'll gladly accept the responsibility.

_Darla is silent and tight lipped. Her bluff has been called._

Adora- That's what I thought. Now, I understand we're receiving a new arrival in our lovely town. I trust you’ve done the appropriate background information?

Darla- Of course. How _lax_ do you think I am?

Adora- Well, don't let her know how much you know at first. We don't to be _creepy_ , do we?

_Adora laughs coldly._

Darla- How do you know it's a her?

Adora- Darling, I do my research too. I like to stay informed, even from up here in my ivory tower.

Darla- You don't trust me.

_Adora narrows her eyes._

Adora- I gave you a _town_ , Darla. Your power is only as good as your legacy.

_Darla starts to speak but stops herself. Adora returns an attempt at a motherly smile._

Adora- Just be sure to keep an eye on the new girl. Ensure she doesn't fall in with the wrong crowd, that she knows all our rules.

_Darla gives a forced grin._

Darla- Yes, ma'am.

Adora- Now, I think you have a Scripture study to return too. The Homers downstairs have been far too loud. Quiet them for your poor mother, won't you?

Darla- Of course.

_Darla leaves the room, closing the door gently behind her. She marches down several flights of stairs, snapping her fingers as she enters the living room._

Darla- Ermina, Maribelle, with me!

Ermina- But the SCRIPTURE!

Darla- We'll make up for lost time at our next session. You two have to help me prepare a welcome for the new arrival to our lovely town!

_Ermina sighs and gets up, Maribelle nervously stepping over too. Darla eyes the rest of them._

Darla- Now, don't you all have families to attend to?

_There's a nervous murmur as the others quickly bustle out._

Maribelle- Alright, Darla, we're ready to go! B-but my kids get out of their ceramics course in an hour and-

Darla- I'll have the course extended for the day. They can make _two_ lovely little pots instead of one. I'm sure you'll treasure them forever.

Maribelle- Well… I guess that takes care of that.

Darla- Now… let's give this new girl a welcome to remember.

_We cut to a small, beat-up car driving through the Georgia countryside. Driving is Edna Mitchell, who looks very tired, her makeup a bit off and her curly auburn hair a frizzy mess. Her five year old son AJ sits in the back in his car seat, looking out the window._

Edna- What's on your mind, kiddo?

_AJ is silent. Edna sighs and turns the music down._

AJ- Hey! I liked that song!

Edna- Too bad. Now you're listening to the gorgeous sound of your mother's voice, AJ. You feeling ok?

AJ- I wanna go home.

Edna- We're going there right now.

AJ- No. We're going to stupid new town.

Edna- Is that your name for it? Catchy.

AJ- I don't wanna move!

Edna- Everything's gonna be fine, kiddo. You're gonna make new friends at your new school. And we needed a break from Ashmount.

AJ- I didn't.

_Edna sharply inhales._

Edna- Well, _I_ did. End of story, AJ.

_AJ just sulks as Edna spots the sign at the entrance of Citrus Hills._

Edna- We're here.

AJ- Great.

Edna- No sassing me. Looks like a lovely town. Let's slow it down so we can find our apartment and-

AJ- Mom, you always narrate your driving. It's weird.

Edna- I do not!

AJ- You do.

Edna- Look at you, noticing patterns. You'll do fine in kindergarten.

_AJ snickers, and Edna smiles a bit as she slows down the car._

Edna- Let's just-

AJ- AAAAAH!

Edna- WHAT?

AJ- THERE'S A LADY!

_Edna turns her head to see Maribelle pressing her face against the car window._

Edna- AAAH!

Maribelle- Ermina, I do believe she has an automobile!

Edna- What the…

_Maribelle runs over to Ermina and Darla, who are waiting in front of the car with a welcome sign._

Edna- Oh, AJ! It's just some friendly neighbors. Come on, get out.

_Edna and AJ get out of the car and go to the three of them._

Darla- Welcome to Citrus Hills, neighbors! We're a lovely town!  


Maribelle and Ermina- A lovely town!

_Edna eagerly extends a hand as AJ hides behind her leg._

Edna- Hi there! I'm Edna! Pleased to meet you! And this little sucker is AJ!

_Maribelle tilts her head around to look inside the car._

Maribelle- Your spouse is on their way…?

_Edna furrows her brow in confusion._

Edna- My spouse? Oh, no I don't-

Darla- Ladies, ladies, we haven't even introduced ourselves yet. Lovely meeting you, Edna. This is Ermina and Maribelle, and I'm Darla Mont Blanc.

_Edna smiles._

Edna- I have to say, I wasn't even expecting a welcoming committee.

Darla- Oh, we're a very welcoming town.

Ermina and Maribelle- Very welcoming.

Edna- Do they always do that?

Darla- Oh, they're just quirky! Speaking of which, Edna, this whole town's got a few quirks you should know about.

AJ- Quirks?

Edna- It looked normal when I researched it. Don't tell me you guys have, like, a cult or something?

_Darla laughs._

Darla- That's ridiculous! No offense, Ed. Can I call you Ed? I'm calling you Ed.

Maribelle- No cult here. No, no, no.

Darla- We just have a set of societal norms that people operate by here. You know, good old Southern etiquette.

Edna- My grandparents were actually from the South! I know a thing or two about-

Ermina- Oh, no you don't, honey.

Darla- A bit blunt, Ermina, but you're right. Ed, you have to understand that we hold our town to very strict standards.

Edna- Erm… what do you mean?

Maribelle- Ooh, don't worry! We prepared a _very_ informative presentation.

Darla- Indeed we did. So stand back, Edna, and let us welcome you… and teach you the Citrusian basics.

_Maribelle and Ermina line up behind Darla as the women begin to snap and music begins to play._

Darla- **Welcome, welcome, to Citrus Hills! You'll find that it's a lovely place!  
**

Maribelle and Ermina- **Yes, it is!**

Darla- **We're a close-knit community of long-time friends, but don't worry, we've always got space!**

Maribelle- **Welcome to your brand new home!**

Ermina- **Welcome to a home you'll adore!**

Darla, Maribelle, and Ermina- **But before you settle in to our lovely town, you're gonna need to know a little bit more.**

AJ- Mom? What are they talking about?

Maribelle- Rule 546- never interrupt someone else's number!

_The women line up back to back, stepping in unison._

Darla, Maribelle, and Ermina- **You need a little help to get around our town, there's a couple rules that might seem peculiar! You need a little help to get around our town, or God only knows what they're gonna do to you!**

Edna- Wait, who's _they_? What are these rules!?

_Maribelle and Ermina hook her arms in theirs, leading her away._

Ermina- We'll explain everything you need to know, sugar.

Darla- **We don't drive cars!  
**

Maribelle and Ermina- **Oh, no, no, no!**

Darla- **They make so much noise, we walk everywhere we go!**

Edna- But I have a car!

Ermina- **Oh, they're such a hassle to start and ride! They're better off thrown in the fire and fried!**

Edna- The FIRE!

Darla- In the furnace!

_They pause to watch some townspeople throw Edna's car into a massive furnace at the center of town._

Edna- AAAH!  


Darla- Forget it, darling! You could maybe use the exercise anyway! No offense!  


_They reach a street and prevent Edna from crossing it._

Maribelle- **Before we cross the street, we always wait.**

_Ermina adjusts Edna's posture._

Ermina- **We keep our chins up high and our backs so straight!  
**

Edna- Wait? You guys don't even have cars here.

Darla- It's _etiquette_ , Ed!

_They lead her across the street._

Darla- **You always walk with your friends, it's simple compassion! We all share tips on life, cooking, and fashion!**

Edna- Well, that sounds good, but this is still _really_ confusing and-

Darla, Maribelle, and Ermina- **You need a little help to get around our town, there's a couple rules that might seem peculiar! You need a little help to get around our town, or God only knows what they're gonna do to you!**

_AJ pokes out from behind Edna's leg._

AJ- Mom, what are they talking about?

Edna- I have no idea, kiddo.

_Darla gasps._

Darla- **You never put your child so far behind! You put them front and center!**

_Everyone else walking on the street turns around to reveal their child in front of them. Maribelle and Ermina pull AJ by each arm._

Maribelle and Ermina- **Without your child, you're nothing at all!**

Citrusians- **They're like tiny customizable living dolls!**

Darla- **You can make them do whatever you want! And when they do something good, oh, that's when you flaunt!**

Citrusians- **That's when you flaunt! That's when you flaunt! That's when you flaunt!**

_There's a music break where various children show off their skills. A girl jumps rope quickly, a boy plays the trumpet, and another girl sings a high note._

Ermina- **Dance!**

_The Citrusians all begin to dance, Ermina and Maribelle dancing with AJ._

AJ- Woohoo!

_Everyone turns to see Darla walking in, turning to face her reverently._

Darla- **Oh, you need a little help to get around our town! There's a couple rules that might seem peculiar! You need a little help to get around our town, or God only knows what they're gonna do to you!**

_Darla pulls Ermina through the streets as Citrusians sing and Ermina goes on a gospel riff._

Ermina- **Oh, God only knows, God only knows! God only know what they're gonna do to you!**

_Darla twirls Edna into her new suburban house, pushing AJ in behind her._

Darla- Enjoy your house, hon! I'll see you for dinner tonight to welcome you more!  


Edna- W-wait! I'm supposed to be in an apartment!

Darla- We don't do apartments. I picked out this house especially for you! See you, Ed!

_Darla walks away, and Edna rakes her hand through her hair, sighing. Maribelle and Ermina look back at her ominously._

Maribelle and Ermina- **You need a little help to get around our town, or God only knows what she's gonna do to you. God only knows what she's gonna do to you…**

_Edna shuts the door, sighing and falling to her knees against it._

Edna- That was… a bit much.

AJ- I liked the dancing!  


_Edna chuckles._

Edna- Me too, kiddo. Now what was that Darla said about dinner? I-

_There's a knock on the door._

Edna- Really? Someone else?

AJ- I wanna see my room!

Edna- Just a second, stick around to say hi to our guest.

_Edna goes to open the door and one Dolores Dominguez falls onto the floor, having been leaning on the door. However, she expertly manages not to spill her wine._

Edna- Oh my gosh! Are you okay?

Dolores- I'm fiiiine.

_She sticks out her hand, a lazy grin on her face._

Dolores- Dolores Dominguez. I'm your neighbor to the left.

Edna- I'm Edna-

Dolores- Oh, I know. Darla told me all about you.

AJ- The singing lady?

_Dolores eyes AJ, taking a sip of wine._

Dolores- Hey, you, why don't you go explore the town? Me and your mom need to talk.

_AJ's eyes light up._

AJ- Okay!

_AJ rushes out of the door._

Edna- AJ, wait! Is it safe out there in the streets?

Dolores- Well, there's no cars to hit him. Cars are the only threats to child safety that exist.

Edna- Erm… okay. Why are you here, Dolores?

Dolores- Ugh, I've been assigned to you.

Edna- Assigned to me? What do you mean?

_Dolores rouses herself from falling asleep._

Dolores- Power nap. Yeah, I have to get you ready for dinner tonight.

Edna- I mean, I have some more formal clothes.

Dolores- Yes, but this is Darla we're talking about. You can't upstage her with your wardrobe, but you can't totally submit to her. It's a delicate balance of fashion that I've mastered.

Edna- You have a wine stain on your shirt.

Dolores- Oh, do I? Ugh, give me a minute.

_Dolores goes to wash it out of her shirt, and Edna looks around at her house._

Edna- Dolores, surely there's been a mixup. This isn't any of my furniture.

Dolores- Oh, that stuff? We intercepted it early and voted on what to keep. Nothing made it through.

Edna- So where's my furniture!?

Dolores- In the fire, babe. It was _so_ against the rules.

Edna- Which rules!?

Dolores- The rules against ugly florals, tiger print, and _burgundy._

Edna- Burgundy?

Dolores- Don't invoke its name. No worries, though. The Mont Blancs provided you appropriate furniture and wardrobe. And I have a few things of my own we'll use to doll you up.

Edna- I, um… okay…

Dolores- Darla didn't give you any of her expensive wine, though…

Edna- I don’t drink that much.

Dolores- I do!

_Dolores drags Edna upstairs._

Dolores- Now, let's make you glow!

Edna- That seems like it would be unhealthy.

Dolores- Glowing is _very_ much allowed within the rules.

_We cut to AJ wandering around outside town. He looks down another cul de sac only to see that every house is pretty much the same._

AJ- Boring!

_AJ sees a child, Richmond Isabelladonna, and waves to him._

AJ- Hi! I'm AJ!

Richmond- M-mother! The child is out without an escort! That goes against rule 2546!

AJ- What?

Richmond- Away, rule-breaker!

_Richmond rushes inside, and AJ pouts._

AJ- Kinda mean.

_AJ turns around, and his eyes widen as he sees the Mont Blanc estate._

AJ- Woah…

Patricia- Don't look too long at it.

_AJ turns to see Patricia St. Paul, a girl around his age._

AJ- Why not?

Patricia- That's the Mont Blanc estate, man. People say that place curses you if you look at it enough.

AJ- I've never heard that before.

Patricia- How long have you lived here?

AJ- Like five minutes.

Patricia- You're new? Oh, wait, of course you're new. I would know you otherwise. I just didn't want to be impolite in case I had actually seen you around somewhere and-

AJ- I'm AJ.

_Patricia grins._

Patricia- I'm Patricia! Nice to meet you, AJ! Where are you moving from?

AJ- Oregon. It's way less hot there.

_Patricia notices his frown, patting him on the shoulder._

Patricia- You don't like it here?

AJ- No. It's hot and it's weird and it's smiley.

Patricia- You don't like smiles?

AJ- I don't like the way people here smile…

_He glances at Patricia._

AJ- You're fine, though.

_She sighs._

Patricia- This is a weird place, yeah. But there are friends if you look closely. And you'll need them to get around.

AJ- To get me not to look at cursed mansions?

Patricia- Yeah, like that.

AJ- Um, do you maybe wanna hang out?

_Patricia beams._

Patricia- Sure! Ooh, I can show you the one orange tree we're allowed to eat from.

AJ- But there's orange trees everywhere.

Patricia- Rule 742- flora is decorative unless stated otherwise.

_AJ sticks out his tongue._

AJ- Lame.

Patricia- There's a rule against that, but we'll save it for later. Come on!  


_The two of them head out, and we cut to Darla in the Mont Blanc Estate, heading for Adora's room. She hears talking from inside, opening the door to find Adora speaking to Evan Mont Blanc, who gives Darla a smirk._

Evan- Hey, Dar. Heard you got a telling off from old Adora.

Darla- Mother! Why is _he_ here?

Adora- Evangelical and I were simply discussing town business.

Evan- It's Evan, Adora.

Adora- And it's Ms. Mont Blanc, Evangelical.

_He rolls his eyes._

Evan- _So_ sorry.

Darla- I didn't realize you discussed town business with him, mother.

Adora- Must I ask you for permission to talk to people, now? I mean, you so rarely visit me anymore…

Darla- I've been _busy._

Adora- I always visited my mother, Darla. No excuses, please.

_Darla falls quiet._

Darla- Yes, ma'am.

Evan- So, you welcomed the new girl to town. I heard your musical number from my house.

Darla- From your shack.

Evan- That's just uncalled for.

Adora- Enough, you two! Evangelical, be on your way.

_Evan clicks his tongue, eyeing Darla as he walks out of the room. Darla turns to Adora._

Darla- _Mother_. Why do you always have to go behind my back?

Adora- Don't be silly. I don't have to tell you every detail of my life.

Darla- Ugh, but-

Adora- But nothing, girl. The new arrival understands the rules?

Darla- I assigned Dolores to help her get ready.

Adora- Interesting. And you didn't do this yourself because?

Darla- Because you taught me how to delegate, Mother.

Adora- When appropriate. I can't say Ms. Dominguez is the most _appropriate_ choice to acclimate Ms. Mitchell to our town.

Darla- I'll be seeing her at dinner tonight. Get her on the right page.

Adora- You're planning to nicely explain things to her, I assume?

Darla- Not at all. I'm planning to show her how much she needs me to guide her through the rules. Throw her off her guard and don't let her catch her footing.

_Adora takes a moment before smiling._

Adora- Good. Maybe you're not totally incompetent.

_Darla narrows her eyes._

Darla- Not even close. You can be sure of that.

_We cut to Dolores applying some makeup to Edna, whose hair is now a bit more neat. She's now dressed in a proper white dress with some frills at the bottom._

Dolores- Ugh, you're a mess.

Edna- I thought a road trip from Oregon would be fun. Turns out AJ's not that into road trips.

Dolores- So you know what you need to say to Darla?

Edna- Only rehearsed it a couple dozen times. She can't be _that_ much of a stickler.

Dolores- Well… we'll see. Is your spouse arriving tonight or a later time?

Edna- Oh… I'm not married.

_Dolores freezes._

Edna- Um… Dolores?

Dolores- I _knew_ this was a punishment. I shouldn't have fallen asleep at that charity auction…

Edna- What's a punishment?

Dolores- Being assigned to _you_. I… I can't be here for a second longer!  


_Dolores starts grabbing her stuff and heading for the door._

Edna- Wait! Dolores!

Dolores- Um… you'll do great, Edna! Just never come near me again!

_Dolores opens the door only to find AJ and Patricia running in._

AJ- Hey, mom! I made a friend.

Dolores- You're Ermina's girl.

_Patricia becomes very nervous._

Patricia- Yes, ma'am.

Dolores- And why are you out without supervision?

Patricia- My mom said that I could-

Dolores- Your mom said, your mom said. Trust me, you don't want anywhere near these newbies. I'd hate to report that you were out alone to Darla…

_Patricia's head falls and she reluctantly moves away from AJ._

Patricia- I'll see you at school, AJ.

AJ- Wait! Where are you going?

_Patricia heads off and Dolores heads out as well, shutting the door behind her. AJ looks crestfallen and Edna moves to comfort him._

AJ- What… what happened?

Edna- I… I don't know, kiddo. Don't worry, though. Everything will be just fine.

AJ- I told you we shouldn't have moved.

Edna- Well, we're here now. Better make the most of it.

AJ- I wanna go home, Mom.

Edna- This is our home now, AJ. Now, we have dinner tonight. Go get dressed for it.

AJ- I don't WANNA!

_Edna rubs her head in frustration._

Edna- Arnold Julian Mitchell, go get dressed _now_.

_Her tone makes AJ start to head upstairs._

Edna- Kiddo, wait. I'm sorry, I didn't mean to snap.

AJ- So I don't have to get dressed?

Edna- Oh, no, I was just apologizing for my tone. Go get dressed this instant.

_AJ walks upstairs and Edna sits down on the couch, clearly overwhelmed._

Edna- But burgundy's my favorite color…

_We cut to Darla, Ermina, and Maribelle standing at the table at an Italian restaurant._

Darla- They'll be here any second now.

Maribelle- Why exactly do we have to be here, Darla?

Darla- What, you don't enjoy welcoming our new arrivals?

Ermina- Of course we do, but… what's the real reason behind this?

_Darla narrows her eyes._

Darla- I haven't the slightest idea what you're talking about and I don't like the implication, Ermina.

_Ermina swallows._

Ermina- Sorry, Darla.

Darla- Oh, here they come!

_Maribelle and Ermina quickly turn to face Edna and AJ as they arrive, wide smiles on their faces._

Ermina and Maribelle- Welcome!

Edna- Hey, guys! Hope I didn't keep you waiting.

Darla- Only a little bit, but it's perfectly fine. Not everyone can be punctual.

_Edna's smile strains as she sits down with the three women._

Edna- Um… should we ask for a child seat for AJ? I'm sorry, I thought I should bring him. I didn't want to find a babysitter and-

Darla- That won't be necessary. Ed. I actually brought my girls to play with your little AJ.

Edna- Oh, super! Where are they?

Darla- Girls!

_From across the restaurant walk two identical girls, Purity and Verity Mont Blanc. The only differences between them are that Purity wears a blue dress and has her hair in a bun, and Verity wears a pink dress and has her hair in double ponytails._

Purity- Sorry, Mother. We didn't see them arrive.

Darla- These are Purity and Verity. I think they'll get along fine with your boy.

AJ- Um… hi?

Verity- Hi! Nice to meet you! I'm Verity!

Purity- I'm Purity! Wanna go play?

_AJ looks to Edna._

Edna- Go with them, honey.

_AJ walks off with the girls, and Darla laughs, exchanging a glance with the twins as they leave._

Darla- So nice to see the kids get along. Does AJ have any little friends back in Oregon?

Edna- He did, yeah. Wasn't too close to any of them, though. We're sort of trying to start a new chapter here.

Maribelle- Why's that, Edna?

Edna- Well…

Ermina- Ooh, the food's here! I'll bless it!  


_Ermina pulls out a small flask of water and sprinkles it over the spaghetti._

Ermina- My husband Montgomery got this stuff straight from our local archbishop!

Darla- Ahem. If I recall correctly, Ermina, you prefer to bless our food _quietly._

_Ermina swallows._

Ermina- Of course.

Edna- So, how long have you guys lived here for?

Darla- Our whole lives, Ed. I left for a brief stint, and that's how I met my lovely husband. But you can never really leave your home.

Edna- Must be a pretty nice place if you stayed here so long!

Maribelle- It's a lovely town!

_Edna chuckles nervously. Darla leans forward, taking a small sip of water._

Darla- So, Edna, I have to ask… are you the Homer or the Worker in your household?

Edna- I'm… I'm sorry?

_Darla sighs._

Darla- Ugh, maybe Dolores wasn't the best person to explain things to you. She can be a bit vague.

Maribelle- Homers and Workers are just fun little terms we use around here for which spouse works and which spouse stays at home with the kids.

Darla- Of course, Homers are permitted to have stay at home jobs as long as they're appropriately domestic. Maribelle here write our newspaper's gossip column.

Maribelle- It's actually an information column.

Edna- What do you mean, _permitted_?

_There's an awkward silence._

Darla- Which one are you, Edna? You seem like a hardworking girl, but you're so good with little AJ, too.

Edna- I mean… I work at home.

Darla- For?

Edna- I do financial management.

_Ermina wrinkles her nose._

Ermina- Such an ugly sounding job. No offense, darling.

Darla- And your spouse? They go out to the office?

Edna- Darla, I don't have a spouse.

_There's gasps all around. Maribelle scribbles down a note of it._

Ermina- Oh my _god_ , I think I'm going to faint!

Darla- Ladies, ladies, so _rude_. But, Edna, don't tell me you're… _divorced._

Ermina- Don't say the d-word!

_Edna swallows._

Edna- My husband is… no longer with us. He-

Ermina- Oh, thank god! She's just a widow!

Maribelle- Crisis averted!  


_Ermina gulps down some water, and Edna looks around at them, startled._

Edna- _Excuse_ me?

Darla- Ignore them, Ed. Let's have a chat.

_We cut to Purity and Verity leading AJ away._

AJ- So… um… what games do you guys like to play?

Verity- Are we out of earshot, P?

Purity- Yep.

Verity- Ugh, good. I hate this stupid thing.

_Verity and Purity take off their blouses to reveal more informal outfits underneath. They turn to face AJ._

Verity- Sorry about our mother, AJ. She's a bit much.

Purity- A bit?

Verity- Well, we still love her.

AJ- She, um… she seems fine.

Purity- Oh, look, he's already learning the rules. You don't speak out against Mom.

_AJ gulps._

AJ- Um, anyway… what should we play?

_Verity pulls out a lighter._

Verity- We could set a tablecloth on fire. We only barely got caught last time.

Purity- But we still did. Meanwhile, I never got caught when I stole Maribelle's wedding ring and replaced it with a fake.

AJ- You guys steal?

Purity- We don't steal, we thieve. Big difference.

Verity- You seem like the type to enjoy mischief, AJ. Interested?

AJ- Well, I can't say I'm _not_ interested.

Purity- I like him, V.

Verity- Let's go mess up the kitchen.

Purity- I'll steal their best spices.

AJ- Sounds fun to me! Are we going to get in trouble, though?

Purity- Not if you follow our lead.

_We cut to Purity, Verity, and AJ sneaking into the kitchen, following after a waiter and hiding inside a cabinet._

AJ- Ooh, this is exciting!  


Purity- What if someone happens to need the cinnamon and opens this cabinet?

_Verity threateningly sparks her lighter._

Purity- No.

Verity- No?

Purity- No.

Verity- Fine, plan B.

_Verity opens the cabinet just a peek and tosses her lighter in the air until it hits a pan in the stove, causing flames to roar high and everyone in the kitchen to panic._

AJ- Woah…

Purity- Come on.

_The twins pull AJ out from the cabinet and to the opposite side of the kitchen into a food storage area._

Purity- Spread out. Find the best stuff.

AJ- Where should I look?

_Purity and Verity exchange a glance, and Verity points to a large box in the back._

Verity- They keep the best stuff in there. Dig deep.

AJ- You got it!

_AJ rushes for the box, and we cut to Edna at the table._

Darla- Widows are _much_ more accepted here, Ed. But you don't seem the part.

Edna- I don't _seem_ the part?

Maribelle- No, no, you need to be much more sad. How long ago did he die.

_Edna bristles._

Edna- Eight months. It's… it's why we moved here.

Darla- Oh, then your mourning period isn't even _close_ to over. My mother stayed in her house for three years straight, and she still never smiles.

Ermina- She never smiled before.

Darla- Shut it, Ermina.

Edna- I'm just trying to keep it together for AJ, Darla.

Darla- A very sweet goal. But it won't make you popular.

_We cut to AJ rummaging deeper and deeper in the box._

AJ- I just see breadsticks, guys!  


Verity- Dig deeper!

_There's footsteps outside the storage area._

Purity- Hide!  


AJ- Where?

Purity- In the box!

_AJ yelps and jumps into the box, while Purity and Verity slink under the shelves. A waiter comes in and picks up the box, taking it out. Inside of it, AJ can feel himself moving._

AJ- Uh-oh…

_Purity and Verity emerge from their hiding places and exchange a glance._

Purity- You're welcome, Mom.

_Maribelle is speaking to Edna at the table, clasping her hand._

Maribelle- I can spin this in the paper, honey. Frame you as a woman selflessly stopping herself from feeling anything for the sake of her delicate child!

Edna- I'd rather you _not_ publish things about my private life. Like I said, this was supposed to be a fresh start.

_Maribelle bites her lip, her eyes wide._

Maribelle- Fine, then, I was just trying to help you!

Edna- Wait, I didn't mean-

Darla- Ed, you have to understand that this town can be a little judgmental.

Edna- But not you guys, right?

Darla- Oh, of _course_ not.

Ermina- Never us!

Darla- We're just trying to make your little situation palatable.

Edna- Palatable? I'm sorry, but I really-

Darla- Look, if you want to refuse our generous aid, that's well within your rights. But I just think…

Edna- You think what?

Darla- Oh, look, they're refilling our breadsticks.

_Edna turns her head to see a waiter carrying the same box that AJ is currently stuck in._

Edna- Yeah, maybe we just need to settle down and eat a little-

_The waiter opens the box and AJ tumbles out, sliding across the table. Darla calmly stands up before he reaches her, but Maribelle's not so lucky._

Maribelle- No!  


_AJ lands right in her spaghetti, splattering meat and sauce all over her._

Ermina- Maribelle!  


Edna- AJ?!

Darla- Oh, what is the meaning of this?

_Purity and Verity appear at her side, dressed in their blouses again._

Purity- He got away from us, mother.

Verity- We tried to keep track of him.

_Edna rushes over to AJ, helping him off the table and trying to wipe some of the spaghetti from him._

Edna- I am so sorry, Maribelle! I'll make it up to you, I promise!

_Maribelle just glares at her, making a quiet yelping sound, and Edna takes the hint._

Edna- I'll just… head out early. Get him cleaned up. How much is my portion of the bill?

Darla- I'll cover it, thanks. You'd better go clean things up, shouldn't you?

_Edna and AJ rush out._

Darla- Thanks, girls.

_She hands them both lollipops._

Purity- Thanks for what?

Darla- Exactly. Ermina, spread our conversation to the church group. Tell them how Edna rejected our olive branch and spoke out against our rules.

Ermina- Yes, Darla.

Darla- Maribelle, she's the topic of your gossip column tomorrow. 'Unmournful Widow Can't Control Her Own Child.'

Maribelle- Catchy.

_Darla runs a finger through her hair._

Darla- I don't know what she was expecting. We gave her a true Citrus Hills welcome.

_End episode._


	79. Citrus Hills S1E2

**Episode Two: Rule 16- Have Proper Decorum at PTA Meetings**

Synopsis: AJ has his first day at school, and Edna attends her first PTA meeting.

_We open on AJ walking down the stairs of the house, pulling at the collar of his uncomfortable looking outfit for the day._

AJ- Mom, these clothes suck!

Edna- I know they do, kiddo. Your old clothes got thrown in the fire, I guess.

_AJ descends the stairs to see Edna leaning over the kitchen table, reading a newspaper._

AJ- What are you reading?

Edna- Oh, nothing.

_Edna pushes aside the newspaper, sighing. She turns around, revealing her makeup is a little smeared and her hair even messier than usual._

Edna- Local paper. Boring stuff.

AJ- You look weird.

_Edna chuckles._

Edna- I guess I do. Why don't you get your stuff for school while I clean myself up a bit?

AJ- Will do!

Edna- Never seen you that enthusiastic for school.

AJ- I was trying to make you feel good.

_Edna slightly smiles._

Edna- Thanks, kiddo.

_On the streets of Citrus Hills, Amelianna (Amy) and Annette Isabelladonna are walking with their son Richmond. He points at Edna and AJ as they walk down the street._

Richard- Mothers, look! Those two had their pictures in the paper!

Amy- It's rude to stare, Richmond.

Annette- And also we really shouldn't even look at them.

_Richmond gasps._

Richmond- Don't tell me they've been…naughty?

Annette- I can neither confirm nor deny that.

Amy- And it would be _rude_ to say anything more, right, dear?

_Annette sighs._

Annette- Of course.

_AJ looks up at Edna._

AJ- Mom, people are looking at us and then pretending they weren't looking at us.

Edna- Don’t worry about it. I bet that happens every time there's a new family in town.

AJ- Okay…

_AJ sees Patricia walking with Ermina._

AJ- Hey! Patricia! Over here!

_Patricia looks over with a smile._

Patricia- AJ! How are-

Ermina- Patricia, baby, we were having a conversation.

Patricia- But mom, that's AJ. He's my new friend.

Ermina- I said we're having a conversation. A very important one.

_Ermina pulls Patricia's hand away, and AJ is crestfallen. Edna purses her lips looking down at him._

Edna- Hey, we can have a conversation too. Looking forward to the first day of school?

AJ- Mom… does everyone hate us?

_Edna is shocked._

Edna- No, no, no. Honey, you don't need to worry about any of that. People… people might be weirded out at first. New family thing, right? But once they get to see the awesome, kind, funny kid you are, you're gonna be fine.

_AJ smiles._

AJ- Thanks, Mom.

Edna- Now stop your worrying and let's get you into school.

Purity- Yeah. Come on, AJ.

_Edna looks behind her to see the twins grinning._

Edna- Gah! I mean, hi, twins! Your mom doing okay?

Verity- She's great, thanks! We're here to take AJ to homeroom!

Edna- Hold on, girls. I haven't checked which homeroom AJ's in yet.

Purity- He's in ours. Mom said so.

Edna- I didn't know your mom was part of the faculty.

Purity- She's not. And yet she got exactly what she wanted.

Verity- Come on, AJ.

AJ- Mom?

Edna- Um… you'd better go with them, AJ. Have fun at school!

AJ- I will, Mom!

Edna- Hold on!

_She grabs AJ's face and gives him a couple kisses on the cheeks._

Edna- I love you!  


AJ- I love you too, Mom.

_The twins lead AJ away, and Edna sighs and turns around only to see Darla looking at her._

Darla- Edna, honey, where are you going?

Edna- Um, home? I had some work to get done.

Darla- Oh, no, no, no. You have to stay. It's the first day. We have a PTA meeting today.

Edna- A PTA meeting?

Darla- You don't have them in Oregon?

Edna- In my town, we called them investor presentations, but same principle, I guess.

Darla- Then you'll fit in just fine! Come on!

Edna- They're mandatory?

Darla- Not _technically,_ but…

_Edna nods and smiles._

Edna- I get it. Lead the way, Darla.

_We cut to the twins leading AJ into the halls of Laura Lime Elementary._

Verity- That whole spaghetti incident was super embarrassing, AJ, wasn't it?

AJ- I mean… yeah. I don't think Mom was very happy.

Verity- Oh, don't worry about that. Besides, we'll be much more careful this time.

AJ- This time?

Purity- You thought we were one-time pranksters? We're Citrus Hills' most prolific mischief-makers.

AJ- And… and you want _me_ to help you?!

Verity- We think you might be up to it.

_AJ grins, but he begins to think._

AJ- I… I don't know. I think Mom wants me to make a good first impression-

Purity- On who? The stuffy privileged kindergarteners and the lame teachers?

Verity- Or on us, the coolest people you'll ever meet.

_AJ gulps._

AJ- Well, when you put it that way…

Verity- Plus, we won't get in trouble. Our dad's the teacher.

AJ- And I won't get in trouble?

Purity- Sure.

Verity- And you'll be able to pull pranks with us and learn our awesome ways.

AJ- You're very convincing.

Verity- It's doomed many people.

AJ- But not me, right?

Verity- Of course not!

_AJ sighs._

AJ- That sounds pretty good. But I still don't know if I could-

Richmond- Verity? Purity? You're hanging around the _new boy_?

_The three of them turn to see Richmond and his friend Alejandra Dominguez._

Alejandra- Richmond, can we not? We should get to class-

Verity- Leave AJ alone, Richmond!

Purity- He's with us. He's _with the Mont Blancs_.

_Richmond pales slightly._

Richmond- Apologies, girls. Alejandra, we should get to class.

_Alejandra rolls her eyes._

Alejandra- What a novel idea.

_The two of them walk away, and AJ looks at the twins in awe._

AJ- I think I wanna be your friend.

_Verity and Purity smile at him, and we cut to Darla walking Edna down a school hallway._

Edna- By the way, Darla, I am _so_ sorry about what happened at dinner. I talked to AJ and-

Darla- Oh, don't worry about it, hon. I _really_ tried to quell those rumors about you two, but some people in this town can be cruel. That's why you need to surround yourself with people that will have your back.

Edna- People like you?

Darla- I'm not going to name any names.

_Edna sighs._

Edna- This PTA thing will be quick, right?

Darla- Oh, _super_ quick. Just some business to cover at the beginning of the year. Very informal stuff.

_Darla opens the door to reveal of the Homers as well as Principal Isabelladonna in hooded robes, holding oranges that have been hollowed into candles._

Edna- Um…

Amy- Hi there! Don your robes and we can get started!

Edna- Robes?

Darla- You didn't bring them? I put them in your closet with a little note.

Edna- I thought that was a bathrobe.

Darla- Oh, _no_. Well, fine. Take your place, then.

Edna- Should I, um… go next to you?

Darla- Oh, sorry, I'm already between Maribelle and Ermina. Why don't you go by _her_? She seems nice.

_Darla points to Carolina Ruthfordshore, a bitter looking woman who the other PTA members give a wide berth to. Edna gulps._

Edna- Right away, Darla.

_Edna goes to stand by Carolina._

Edna- Hi. I'm Edna.

_Carolina is silent. Darla stands between Ermina and Maribelle as she puts on her robe._

Darla- Sorry for the delays. I was held up.

Maribelle- By the _new girl._

Darla- I would never name names, Maribelle.

_Darla clears her throat._

Darla- Alright, then! I hereby call this meeting of the Laura Lime Elementary PTA to order! I, Darla Mont Blanc, as well as my Homer associates, are here on behalf of the parents of Citrus Hills.

Amy- And I, Principal Amelianna Isabelladonna, am here on behalf of our teachers!

PTA Members- The staff! The staff! The staff!

_Amy pulls out an ornate staff topped with a diamond lemon._

Amy- I present to Mrs. Mont Blanc the Sacred Lemon Staff, a symbol of the alliance between parents and teachers for generations!  


_Darla takes the staff._

Darla- I accept!

PTA Members- Forged in blood and sweat!

_Edna whispers to Carolina._

Edna- Is there, like, a manual for this stuff?

Carolina- If there was, the first instruction would be to shut your mouth until you get your footing.

_Edna falls silent as Dolores lazily comes around with a tray of macaroons._

Dolores- As vice president of the PTA, I have painstakingly prepared macaroons for us to sample during this meeting. We shall each consume _one single_ macaroon and it will take all of us the entire length of the meeting to do so. Nibble at my command and only at my command.

_Dolores comes around and Edna nervously takes one._

Edna- Thank you, Dolores.

_Dolores just pretends not to hear and moves on._

Darla- Thank you, Dolores. Now, our primary order of busines today is deciding upon theming and organization for our first school dance this year.

_Edna raises her hand, and Darla sighs._

Darla- Would our Parliamentarian like to give us a rules refresher for _no reason at all_.

_Annette sighs._

Annette- Of course, Darla. To speak, we do not raise our hands, but instead simply talk over everybody else until we _must_ be heard.

Edna- Oh…

Darla- ANYWAY, I'd like to pose our first suggestion. As we've done in years past, I think dressing our little ones up in suits and dresses would be the most stinkin' adorable thing ever!

Ermina- Tried and true.

Maribelle- Tested and proven.

Ermina- That's what I just said.

Amy- Oh, I just _love_ to dress our little Richmond in suits!

Edna- Um… excuse me?

Dolores- Ooh, I've had an eye on this dress for Alejandra for _months_.

Ermina- Patricia can wear those earrings I got her!

Edna- EXCUSE ME!?

_All eyes turn to Edna. Carolina coughs._

Carolina- All eyes on you, short stuff.

_Darla smiles._

Darla- Ms. Mitchell. You have the floor.

Edna- I actually still go by Mrs., thank you.

Darla- Oh, I'm so sorry! Carry on.

Edna- Well, these are elementary schoolers we're talking about, guys. And if I know anything about kids from my AJ, then they're going to _hate_ having to put on uncomfortable outfits. Tell me I'm wrong.

_There's a pause._

Cillian- Well, maybe _your_ kid.

Maribelle- How dare you insinuate that my little Morgan _hates_ formality?!

Ermina- Patricia jumps with glee every time she puts on her church clothes!

Edna- I'm sorry, I didn't mean to offend! I was just thinking of a more fun theme like a costume party or something?

Carolina- Nice save. I'm sure that will go over well.

Annette- Oh, a costume party? Then we can be like every two-bit Halloween gathering instead of the respectable community we are!

_Darla sighs._

Darla- Dolores, things are getting out of hand. Can you call order?

_She turns to see that Dolores is asleep in her chair, sighing._

Darla- Order!

_Darla bangs her staff on the ground and everyone falls silent except for Edna._

Edna- I remember having a super fun costume party back when-

_She sees Darla glaring at her and shuts up._

Darla- Well, _Ms._ Mitchell, you've certainly given us a lot to chew on. I think we could use a recess to mull your proposal over and let everyone calm down a little, don't you think?

Edna- Yeah! I mean… okay.

_Darla grins._

Darla- Meeting temporarily dismissed.

_Everyone stands up and bows to the center of the circle before taking off their robes and walking away, conversing casually. Dolores stirs to consciousness._

Dolores- Everyone may take a nibble of their macaroons!

_Edna looks around, unsure of where to go, when Carolina taps on her shoulder._

Carolina- That was some stunt you pulled, Mrs. Mitchell.

Edna- Call me Edna, please.

_Carolina takes off her robe, revealing piercing grey eyes and short brown hair._

Carolina- Carolina Ruthfordshore. And you're gonna want to listen to me.

_We cut to AJ and the other kindergarteners sitting patiently in their desks._

Verity- Okay, AJ, we have a plan for today.

AJ- Ooh, what is it?

_Verity winks._

Verity- We'll keep you posted.

Richmond- Good children don't _whisper_ during class!

Purity- Shut it, Richmond.

_Patricia leans to the side to whisper to AJ._

Patricia- Psst. AJ.

AJ- Patricia? I thought-

Patricia- Sorry about this morning. I don't think my mom wanted me to talk to you.

AJ- Why?

_Patricia shrugs._

Patricia- Adult stuff.

AJ- Adult stuff sucks.

_The door to the classroom opens and an imposing thin figure walks in: Mr. Melodious Mont Blanc. Everyone is silent for a second._

Melodious- Usually the response to a teacher is 'good morning.'

Students- Good morning.

Verity- Hey, Dad.

Melodious- Quiet, Verity. Not in the classroom.

_Melodious walks to the center of the classroom._

Melodious- I am Melodious Mont Blanc, and I shall be your kindergarten teacher this year. You shall address me as Mr. Mont Blanc or as sir. Understood?

Students- Yes, sir.

_Melodious glares at AJ._

Melodious- I recognize we have a new student in our classroom…

AJ- Um, yep! That's me!

Melodious- That was not an indication for you to speak, AJ.

AJ- Sorry…

_Richmond snickers, and the twins roll their eyes._

Melodious- As today is your first day in my class and at Laura Lime Elementary, we will be dedicating it to allowing you students to explore our lovely school and meet our faculty.

_The students start to discuss amongst themselves._

Melodious- Silence, I am speaking! I myself will be leading an arithmetic lesson in this classroom, but you are all free to go-

_The students all leave at once, leaving Richmond and Alejandra behind._

Melodious- Oh…

Richmond- I'm prepared to learn some numbers, sir!

Alejandra- Richmond, do we _have_ to?

Richmond- Yes! And by the way, sir, those glasses make you look quite dapper!

_Melodious gives Richmond a dead-eyed glance._

Melodious- If I accept your useless compliment, will you tell the principal I'm an excellent teacher?

Richmond- Mother is receptive to my feedback, sir. It can be arranged.

Melodious- Superb.

_We cut to Purity and Verity leading AJ down the halls outside._

AJ- A whole day of freedom! What should we-

Verity- Oh, don't you worry about that, AJ. P and I have got it covered.

Purity- Nothing welcomes Dad to his first day of the school year like a prank.

AJ- Mr. Mont Blanc? He seemed kind of scary…

Verity- Nobody seems scary when you've seen them throw up an entire home cooked meal.

Purity- Mother sent him to the couch for a week.

_AJ snickers._

AJ- I assume you guys have a prank in mind?

Verity- You know us so well already.

_We cut to Carolina and Edna leaning against a corner of the PTA room, Edna listening to Carolina as she points to various people in the room._

Carolina- If you're gonna stand up to Darla, you'll need to know the lay of the land.

Edna- I think I'm getting pretty accustomed to this town.

Carolina- Well, I don't.

_Edna deflates._

Edna- Who's your kid, anyway, Carolina? Apparently that's an important thing around here.

Carolina- Ew, no. No children for me.

Edna- But you're on the PTA.

_Carolina waves her hand._

Carolina- My folks owned a bunch of land here, let the school build a playground on some of it in exchange for a spot.

Edna- Is it really that important to be included in the PTA?

Carolina- This is where the real work in this town gets done, Edna. Remember that.

_Edna jots a note in a book._

Edna- Gotcha.

Carolina- Now, let's go over the people you need to know.

_Carolina points, and the camera pans to the various people she's talking about._

Carolina- Darla Mont Blanc, queen bee. Daughter of the White Widow, married to a teacher here. You know her, you love her, you fear her.

Edna- I'm not afraid of Darla!  


Carolina- Then you're not very smart, are you? Ermina St. Paul, leads the book club. _Super_ into church. Married a preacher.

Edna- Who are their husbands' families?

Carolina- Not from here. That's the way things work in the Hills. You wanna get married, you go out and find someone, sink your hooks into them, and bring them back here. God knows none of us want to marry someone that grew up _here_. Everyone here is psycho.

Edna- Yikes.

Carolina- There's an exception to that rule, though. Dolores married her high school sweetheart Raul. Look how that turned out for her…

_Carolina points to Dolores, who is passed out in her chair again._

Edna- She's… very comfortable.

Carolina- Wow, you're already learning to mask insults behind euphemisms. You'll do just fine. Those are the Isabelladonnas, Amy and Annette. Amy's the important one here. She may be smiley and a little empty in the head, but as the sole representative of the teachers, she has more voting power here than anyone.

Edna- And Darla's okay with that?

Carolina- As long as Amy does everything she wants. And Annette's smart enough to make sure of that.

Edna- Who's the guy over there?

Carolina- Cillian Blueblossom. Mayor's husband. He talks back to Darla sometimes, but he knows his limits.

Edna- Hm…

Carolina- Got the lay of the land?

Edna- Not quite… where do you fit into all of this? Nobody was standing by you…

_Carolina shrugs._

Carolina- That's what happens when you don't have a family around here. My parents left town to follow a treasure map they found buried in the woods, and no way I'm starting a family.

Edna- Not ready to date?

Carolina- No, just aromantic. I like kids, though. Played with Darla's twin by my farm before she told me to stop.

Edna- You don't need a partner for kids, you know.

Carolina- Yeah, cause these folks are super nice to single mothers.

Edna- Point taken. But why are you telling me everything? Just out of pity.

Carolina- Mostly. But I did also like seeing someone finally fight back against Darla. And who knows, maybe what I've told you will help you actually get the right folks behind your proposal.

_Edna hesitates, then smiles._

Edna- You're fun, Carolina.

Carolina- I'm well aware.

_We cut to Patricia walking down the hallways, smiling as she looks inside classrooms._

Patricia- Hi! How are you? Can't wait to see you later!

_Patricia continues walking only to see the twins in front of her._

Purity- Hey, Patricia…

Patricia- Eep! I mean… hey, P. Hey, V.

AJ- I'm here, too!

_Patricia looks to the side to see AJ grinning and waving._

Patricia- AJ! Good to see you! Enjoying school so far?

AJ- Sure am!

Verity- But we would enjoy it a lot more if you helped us with a little something.

_Patricia gulps._

Patricia- I know the kinds of things you want my help with…

Verity- _Please_! All the teachers love you!

Purity- You can get close to them…

Patricia- Right at the beginning of the year? Guys, I don't know.

AJ- Come on, Patricia! It'll be fun!

_Patricia sighs._

Patricia- They already got you mixed up in your funny business?

AJ- It's just a little prank!  


_Patricia sighs._

Patricia- As long as I don't have to get in trouble.

Purity- Of course not.

Verity- Now, we need some certain supplies, and our supplier usually hangs out by the bathroom.

Purity- They skipped class _again_.

AJ- Then let's go!

Patricia- I'll just stay in the back…

_The four of them head off, and we cut to Richmond and Alejandra in the classroom. Richmond's ear twitches and he rises to his feet, tossing aside his math worksheet._

Richmond- I sense mischief, sir! Excuse me, Mr. Mont Blanc!

_Richmond rushes out._

Melodious- Ugh. Well, he's gone, but Alejandra, we can still-

Alejandra- Bye, sir.

_They both exit, and Melodious frowns._

Melodious- Nobody ever stays for the song…

_We cut back to the four mischief-makers walking down the hallway when they hear yelling from behind them._

Richmond- They must have gone this way, Alejandra! Mr. Mont Blanc will surely reward me once I uncover their scheme!

Patricia- Guys! I thought you said we wouldn't get in trouble!

Verity- We won't if we just _hide_!

_The four of them duck around a corner right into the legs of a bemused Evan Mont Noir._

AJ- Agh!

Patricia- M-Mr. Mont Noir.

Evan- Now, don't tell me you children are out to cause mischief…

Purity- Wouldn't dream of it.

_Evan leans down._

Evan- Are you pranking Melodious?

Verity- Of course we are.

_Evan snickers._

Evan- Be on your way, then. I'll handle this.

_He ushers them off and stops Richmond as he and Alejandra round the corner._

Evan- Ah, Richmond, just the kid I was looking for! I had some English principles that I really think you'll enjoy!

Richmond- Hold on, sir! There's-

Evan- It's really quite important to your education. Come on, come on.

_Evan ushers Richmond and Alejandra into his classroom despite their protests, and we cut to the gang of four arriving outside the bathroom, where Morgan LaRue is standing against the wall, wearing a long coat._

Verity- Hey, Morgan. Good to see you.

Morgan- Quit the niceties. What do you need from me?

Verity- Six balloons. Thick water and whipped cream mixture.

Morgan- The trick from two years ago?

_Patricia leans over to AJ._

Patricia- Morgan can get their hands on everything. Makes them good friends with the twins.

AJ- Woah…

Purity- Can you supply it?

Morgan- Is that a question? The only real question is payment.

Verity- Fifteen dollars, two nickels, and those crayons we stole from you last week.

Morgan- Throw in your socks. I have a customer who's been after something like those.

Purity- Fine.

_Purity and Verity remove their socks and hand them over to Morgan._

Morgan- Pleasure doing business with you.

_Morgan reaches into their coat and hands them some balloons and a container full of thick white liquid._

Morgan- Now get away from me. Don't want to be suspicious.

Purity- Not a word, Morg.

Morgan- Not unless someone pays me an awful lot.

_Morgan looks away, and that's their cue to leave._

AJ- Now what?

_Verity taps Patricia and AJ._

Verity- Now you two pull your weight.

_We cut back to the PTA room, where Darla, Ermina, Cillian, and Amy are talking._

Darla- And Amy, you're prepared to host the next book club?

Amy- Darla, it's the start of the school year. I kind of have a lot on my plate right…

_Darla raises an eyebrow._

Amy- And by that I mean you all will have a lot on your plate once I serve you a home-cooked meal next week!

Darla- Can't wait!

Cillian- Well, you can wait at least a week, can't you?

_Darla gives Cillian a side eye and he snickers. Carolina taps Darla's shoulder and she turns around with a disdainful smile._

Darla- Um… _Ms._ Ruthfordshore. What do you need?

Carolina- Oh, I was just hoping we could use this time to discuss potentially giving away some of my land. With my parents gone, it's hard for me to care for all of it…

Darla- Well, if you insist. Good on you for stepping up and realizing how much our _community_ could use that land. Excuse me, y'all.

_Darla steps aside to speak with Carolina, and Edna takes her place._

Ermina- Oh! Edna… hi…

Edna- Hey, guys. I was just hoping…

Cillian- You know, we were just finishing our conversation…

Ermina- Maybe we should-

Edna- I was wondering how many times a day the town church has mass!  


_Ermina freezes and turns around._

Ermina- Excuse me?

Edna- Oh, I always tried to take AJ to mass as much as possible, but our church back in Oregon wasn't diligent at all!  


_Ermina smiles._

Ermina- Rest assured, darling, the Citrus Hills church is nothing if not diligent. We have an elite team of priests that keep mass going twenty four hours a day!  


Edna- Well, thank goodness!

Ermina- It's always nice when new arrivals are people of faith. Means I'll be seeing a lot of you.

_Edna smiles and turns to Cillian._

Edna- Oh, and just checking, Cillian. Where do I deliver my homemade muffins to thank your husband for being such a good leader?

Cillian- Didn't realize you had much experience with his leadership.

Edna- I can just sense this town has a great mayor.

_Cillian sighs._

Cillian- Well, I'll give you my address after the meeting. I _do_ love a good muffin.

Edna- Glad to hear it! So… what do you guys think of this whole dance thing?

  
Ermina- Well.…not to disagree with you, Edna, but-

Amy- To be honest, the costume party idea sounded kind of fun!

_Annette sees Amy talking to Edna._

Annette- Oh, honey, what are you doing?

_Annette makes a beeline for Amy, but Carolina pulls her aside._

Carolina- Annette, we need your opinion on this! Chime in!

Edna- Oh, really, Amy?

Amy- Between us Homers, I went to an illegal costume party back in my girlhood, and it was awesome!  


_Ermina gasps._

Ermina- Amy, you shouldn't confess such things! I feel unclean!

Edna- It _was_ fun, wasn't it, Amy? And if we approve this, it doesn't have to be illegal for our kids!

Amy- That's true…

Ermina- Edna, what are you getting at?

Edna- Oh, Ermina, are you saying your lovely daughter couldn't pull off a cute costume?

Ermina- Of course not! She'd look amazing!  


Edna- She _will_ look amazing.

_Edna looks to Cillian, who smirks._

Cillian- You're learning fast, new girl.

_He pauses._

Cillian- And it's working…

_We cut to Verity and Purity tying off their whipped-cream balloons. Patricia is fidgeting nervously._

Verity- This would go a lot faster if you two would help out.

AJ- I tried. I failed.

Patricia- I want to keep my hands somewhat clean, guys.

Purity- Lost cause working with us, Patricia.

_Verity and Purity finish tying off the balloons and dump them in AJ's arms._

AJ- Um… why are you handing them all to me?

Verity- We're the planners, AJ. We've done it all so far. It's on you two now…

Purity- Don't worry, we'll be watching…

_We cut to Patricia leading Melodious into a classroom. We see AJ waiting behind a curtain, a rope in his hand that leads to a net holding up all the balloons._

Patricia- I had so much fun in your extra math classes last year, Mr. Mont Blanc, and I was maybe hoping you'd provide something similar this year?

Melodious- Oh, of course! It warms my heart to see a student that's actually invested in their education, Patricia! I have several packets prepared that we can go over.

Patricia- Um… sir? The lighting here kind of hurts my eyes. Can we go over by your desk.

Melodious- Erm… sure, Patricia.

_He walks over, and Patricia looks up nervously._

Melodious- What are you looking at, dear? I don't-

Patricia- Anyway, I was wondering about long division! I don't totally get it yet.

Melodious- Well, it's simple if you break it down.

_AJ squeezes his eyes shut behind the curtain._

AJ- Now or never…

_Purity and Verity peep in from the outside._

Verity- Come on, P. I don't want to watch the rest.

_She pulls Purity away as AJ pulls on the rope, sending the balloons hurtling down in slow motion on Melodious._

Melodious- NOOOOOOOO!

_Viscous whipped cream splatters all over him, leaving him soaked and very angry. Patricia's eyes widen._

Patricia- Mr. Mont Blanc!

Melodious- What is THE MEANING OF THIS?!

Patricia- It must have been some rogue pranksters-

Melodious- Oh, don't sugarcoat it. It was obviously my girls. And I bet they're in their usual hiding spot.

_He strides over to the curtain._

Patricia- Wait, no!

_He pulls the curtain aside to reveal a terrified AJ._

AJ- Hi, sir. I think I got lost.

Melodious- AJ Mitchell… my newest student and you're already causing trouble…

AJ- N-no, sir!

_Melodious raps AJ's wrist with a ruler._

Melodious- Come with me!

Patricia- Sir, wait-

Melodious- Apologies, Patricia. I'll be right back.

_He pulls AJ behind him as he leaves the classroom, Patricia left shocked._

Patricia- No…

_We cut to Edna making a speech in front of the PTA._

Edna- I think that a costume party could really be a nice change of pace for everyone, and the kids would have a lot of fun with it! And that's what we're here to ensure, right?

Darla- With all due respect, Edna, I think it's time we moved on-

Amy- Hold on. She's speaking, Darla.

_Darla fumes, noticing the smiles and chatter surrounding Edna. She and Carolina exchange a glare._

Darla- How did this happen, Ermina?

Ermina- I mean… she has a point…

_Darla shoots a death threat in the form of a look at her._

Ermina- I mean, not _much_ of a point, but…

Edna- We can move on from this topic… right after we hold a vote.

_There's murmurs of agreement, and Maribelle whispers to Darla._

Maribelle- This doesn't seem too great, Dar.

Darla- If everything goes my way, we won't have to worry about this little vote. You shouldn't worry, Maribelle. It takes up too much room in that small head of yours.

_Maribelle laughs awkwardly._

Maribelle- Good one…

Edna- Sounds like everyone agrees to a vote!

Carolina- Sounds like they do.

Edna- Well then, all in favor-

_Melodious bursts into the room with AJ._

Melodious- Principal Isabelladonna! I require your attention at once!  


Amy- Mel, we're right in the middle of a vote-

Melodious- This is an extremely important disciplinary matter!

_Amy sighs._

Amy- I'm coming. Vote without me, y'all.

Edna- AJ…?

AJ- Mom! Hold on, I can explain!

Melodious- You can explain to the principal, young man!

_Melodious, AJ, and Amy exit, and there's silence for a moment._

Edna- I…

Darla- Well, correct me if I'm wrong, but was that one yours, Edna? He looks so stinkin' cute!

Edna- AJ…yes, he's mine.

_Darla smiles as she stares down Edna. Edna gulps and looks around at the other members' faces. It's a lost cause._

Edna- I think I should go handle some… stuff.

Darla- That sounds like a good idea, hon.

_Edna rushes out in a hurry and Carolina sighs bitterly, taking off her robe and heading for the door._

Darla- Carolina? Where are you going?

_Carolina turns to glare at her._

Carolina- You win again, Darla. Happy?

_Carolina slams the door._

_End episode._


End file.
